- Brea: Tell me about yourself
Elise: I’m a soon to be graduate from Wayne State University in Detroit with a degree in English. I’m a fashion and beauty obsessee but I definitely was not always that way. I grew up a science geek (and somewhere in my heart I still am one) and one day picked up an issue of Teen Vogue and it changed my life. The fashion industry inspires me every day, and it spans beyond clothing. I love the designers, the seasonal strategy and the concepts of merchandizing.
Oh! And I’m a caffeine addict. My preferred modes are slurpees and iced lattes, extra shot.
- B: Congrats on your upcoming graduation! What advice would you give to students just beginning their undergrad journey in PR?
E: Thank you! I am so excited (also a bit scared!). Most people would say networking, which is so true—it’s never too early to start. But, I think that students just starting in any field, but particularly in PR, need to sit down for a couple hours and think about their decision and ask themselves a few reflective questions.
1) Is PR something that you want to challenge yourself with every day?
2) Why PR? Because it’s glamorous (because take it from me, it is not glamorous every day)?
3) Are you going into this field for the right reasons?
Making a pros and cons list and taking time to reflect on your decisions will help you grow, and hopefully motivate you to take the next steps in school, such as joining PRSSA.
- B: What area of PR are you interested in and why?
E: I’m most interested in fashion/beauty PR. There’s something so intriguing about an industry that is as quickly paced and competitive as fashion. It definitely helps that I have a complete obsession with the goings-on of the fashion and beauty industries. It’s a faction of PR that is both beautiful and calculated, tactical and glamorous at times. Most importantly, it’s the area that exhilarates me and pushes me to wake up each morning ready to work.
- B: What is your dream job?
