Name: Amanda DiPrato
Age: 21
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
Major: Public Relations
Minor: Hospitality
Year: Senior
Her Campus (HC): What made you choose Public Relations as your major?
Amanda DiPrato (AD): Originally I was going to be a Media Communications major, but I started to enjoy the writing and social media aspects of Public Relations after a while. Those facets really caught my eye, so I applied.
HC: What type of public relations interests you the most?
AD: I definitely want to do something hospitality related, focusing more on the social media side. I love writing, but I love writing for social media even more.
HC: I know that the major is specialized. Do you have any pointers or advice for those who are in the process of applying?
AD: Obviously good grades are something that they definitely look at during the acceptance process, but when it comes to your essay, make sure it represents who you are. Put your heart into it, but don’t overthink it. Make sure to use your own particular writing style because that will give them a sense of who you are. Make it your own.
HC: Because you grew up in Orlando, what made you choose to come to FSU?
AD: Well, my senior year in high school, my friend Kelly asked me to go to an FSU football game with her. I went, and we had such a great time. After we toured the campus, I just knew. I remember texting my mom at Westcott saying, “I am coming to this school!” My mom was so excited for me because, before that, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go. But after seeing FSU, I knew it was the place for me.
HC: So Amanda, what exactly is FPRA?
AD: FPRA is the Florida Public Relations Association student chapter. We meet every other Wednesday, and we have speakers who are in the Communications/PR profession in the area. They talk about what they do and their experiences in the field. Our members get to listen and learn from their experiences and knowledge.
HC: Why did you decide to join the executive board?
AD: Last year when I was just an FPRA member, we went on a trip to Miami to visit PR firms in different areas of the field. Seeing how much fun the exec board was having and all the connections they were gaining made me really want to go for it. Plus, I like helping out the freshman, and this position gives me an awesome resume boost.
HC: What kinds of things are in the works for FPRA this year?
AD: We’re going to Atlanta at the end of November. We also have a lot of really cool speakers coming in. We recently just had a social media panel that was super interesting, and we have a bunch of other panels coming up. Each meeting is a surprise for members. It’s really a lot of fun. We also have a HUGE trip planned for the spring that I can’t really tell you about because it is being kept under wraps for right now until we reveal it later on to our members. But, I can tell you that I am SO excited for it!
HC: What is the best part about being on the FPRA exec board?
AD: I love everyone that is on the exec board with me because we are all such great friends. I also think that being able to be in a leadership position is really fun. I never got to experience that in high school, so once I got to college, I told myself that I wanted to get involved in something like that. It has been a really rewarding and honestly super fun experience for me so far.
HC: What other activities do you participate in outside of FPRA?
AD: I have been really into working out lately to relieve stress. Being healthy and happy really do go hand in hand!
HC: Who is your inspiration, career or life-wise?
AD: I don’t want to be sassy, but Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada! I ultimately want to end up in a big position, not necessarily as big as hers, but something big and glamorous like that is my goal. She is such a queen in that movie and everyone treats her like that because she worked so hard to get there. I want that type of respect.