Accomplishments

Although it has been several months since I posted, I haven’t forgotten about my blog. It’s just difficult to find time to get here when I have such a full plate. I a full-time student, media relations intern, I work in retail and I skate for the Flat Track Furies (check us out at emeraldcityrollergirls.net) Needless to say I am looking forward to a couple of months off for summer.

In other news, the last year has been full of accomplishments and I am very proud of the steps I have made in getting closer to my career. I have had several moments in the last 9 months, where I could actually say to myself, “Hey, you actually know what you are doing.” I have felt particularly important as an intern at Ophelia’s Place. I really enjoy working with the staff and providing them with my expertise. Not a day goes by without receiving a thank you from them, but really, I feel like I should be thanking everyone there for letting me learn and grow.

In the last several months, I have made contacts with local media in Eugene, including Storm Kennedy from KUGN radio, who deserves an honorable mention as she has been so great about doing radio interviews with OP and helping me get in touch with other people in the community.

I really am having a great experience and will be graduating after fall term 2013. I plan to continue interning with OP as long as I am in Eugene.

 

Making a Name for Myself

Try as I might, I cannot seem to consistently post updates on my blog.

So here I am. Updating.

Many wonderful things are happening in my life right now, both personally and professionally.

My internship at Ophelia’s Place has given me the task of re-designing and adding content to its auction catalogue for its upcoming Gems Event fundraiser. Although I’m no stranger to deadlines, Monday is swiftly approaching and here I am nitpicking at InDesign before I have all of the content typed up and entered. Silly me. Thankfully, Verb Marketing + PR is willing to help when I need it.

In other news, I have taken on the role of PR intern at the Downtown Initiative for Visual Arts (DIVA)  art gallery in addition to Ophelia’s Place. I am very excited about these opportunities as this is my final year of college and I hope to gain experience and network with as many people as I can, locally and possibly not so locally (any Coloradoans, Northern Californians, or Upstate New Yorkers out there reading this?) in PR who might have other professional opportunities that I can be a part of.

With two internships, full-time classes, roller derby and a part-time job, I probably won’t eat, sleep or bathe for the next three months.

It will be worth it.

 

PR Intern at Ophelia’s Place

I recently began an internship at Ophelia’s Place (OP), a nonprofit organization in downtown Eugene, Ore., that focuses on providing young women with services and support.

The organization offers a wide range of services including skill building, counseling, education, and leadership opportunities. OP also partners with middle schools and high schools in the Eugene area, to provide classroom presentations that focus on the impact of media on body image and gender identity, healthy relationships and dating violence, and bullying, discrimination, sexual harrassment and how to be a helpful bystander.

Since I hope to find a career in nonprofit PR after I receive my bachelor’s degree, I thought this would give me experience working for a nonprofit organization.

OP has a public relations plan, but my goal while I am here for the next year is to help update it and gain more followers via Facebook and increase awareness of the organization, especially from middle school and high school girl. Another goal is to increase the number of media contacts and possibly have a story done in a local paper about the organization, so I am in the process of developing a media kit.

Hopefully my schooling up to this point has provided me with enough knowledge and strategy to help this organization gain awareness and followers!

Like Ophelia’s Place on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/OpheliasPlaceEugene

Or, visit its website: http://www.opheliasplace.net