Speech to high school students

I want everyone to close their eyes and picture their favorite celebrity. This can be a singer, an actor, or even a TikToker, just anyone who has some sort of fame. Now once you have this person in your mind, can you think of any sponsorships or promotions they have been a part of? 

You see I was thinking of Taylor Swift and her 10-minute performance of “All Too Well” on Saturday Night Live last month. Artists do performances or appearances like this constantly to promote new songs or albums. The same goes for actors too when they have a new movie or show coming out. These promotion strategies are often precisely planned out by their public relations person. 

I have worked in a variety of industries throughout my P-R career these past 25 years. For the majority of my career, I worked in the communications department for FedEx. I have also worked for government entities, small businesses, P-R agencies, as well as served as the public relations and development director for a large nonprofit. I have also done some writing for the Dallas Morning News and Fox News Latino. And I know what you’re thinking (PAUSE) Yes I am indeed Latina (LAUGH). Now I teach journalism and P-R courses at U-N-T.  Between you and me (HAND TO MOUTH & WHISPER) I used to teach at T-C-U, and the only difference I’ve noticed between the two universities is the tuition prices. And not to brag, but U-N-T takes the cake.

 Enough about how great U-N-T is (LAUGH). My favorite thing about the P-R industry is that each day you face a new task. And each day you get to creatively express yourself through your work. In these next couple minutes, I want to share with you what exactly P-R is, why it can be a great career choice, and how you can pursue a degree in P-R at U-N-T’s Mayborn School of Journalism. 

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(Speaker read out loud) What is P-R? And why is it right for you? 

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According to U-.S. News & World Report, P-R is ranked third in best creative and media jobs. The main duties of P-R consist of social responsibility, crisis management, employee relations and strategic planning. Transparency is key in this field as P-R professionals are constantly trying to build and maintain trust with the public. The fascinating part about P-R is that there are several industries to work with. Some of them include entertainment, sports, government, or the travel and tourism industry. You see there are many avenues you can take throughout your P-R career. Some P-R professionals choose to work at an agency that works with multiple clients and can vary in industry specialties. Or you can work at a company as their P-R person. These jobs vary in several titles, for example, you can be a content manager, public relations director, publicist, or media specialist to name a few. Regardless of the industry, a P-R person has the ultimate responsibility of building and maintaining relationships between an organization and groups of people.

(Speaker read out loud) So why pursue a career in P-R? 

We've discovered the entry-level salary for P-R jobs in D-F-W is about 40-thousand dollars a year. That's more than what journalists, advertising pros and marketers are making. Who doesn’t want to earn a higher salary than others right? (SHRUG SHOULDERS) But to have a better idea if this career would suit you, I am going to ask you a few questions. First off, raise your hand (RAISE HAND) if you are attached to your phone? (PAUSE) Okay wow, a lot of hands went up for that question (LAUGH). Now let’s see the excitement for this question, (PAUSE) who in here does well with deadlines? (PAUSE) All right, raise your hand if you’re good at creating new relationships. (PAUSE) How about detail-oriented? (PAUSE) Last but certainly not least, raise your hand if you believe yourself to be a strong writer? 

And look at that, you just assessed your P-R skills. I hope you can look at your responses to help you decide if this would be a career you’d enjoy. 

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(Speaker read out loud) What does U-N-T offer future P-R professionals?

 

You can get your bachelor's degree in journalism with a major in P-R at UNT’S Mayborn School of Journalism. This program offers journalism students the opportunity to gain extensive P-R skills through hands-on experience through working in the latest technology labs and with different media. This degree plan is designed for students to gain the most valuable knowledge and experience to use in the field once upon graduation. At U-N-T, we pride ourselves on affordability and flexibility. This being said, we are proud to offer flexible class times to suit our students’ busy schedules. We also provide lots of scholarships so our students can get top-quality education at an affordable cost.  

Thank you all so much for giving me the time to share with you the exciting industry of P-R and why pursuing a P-R degree at U-N-T’s Mayborn School of Journalism is right for you! I hope to see your faces in the Mayborn halls soon! 

 

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Memo with agenda: 

To: Mayborn journalism faculty

From: Lauren Whitfield

Date: December 9, 2021

Subject: Mayborn School of journalism presentation at Ray Braswell High School 

 

The Mayborn School of Journalism professors will be speaking to the sophomore, junior and senior classes at Ray Braswell High School on Thursday, Dec. 16 from 9-10 a.m. 

Location: 26750 E University Dr, Aubrey, TX 76227 in the school auditorium. 

Driving directions:  

Take Malone St to US-380 E/W University Dr

6 min (1.4 mi) 

Head west on Chestnut St toward Avenue C

0.1 mi

Turn right onto Avenue C

0.3 mi

Continue onto Jagoe St

0.3 mi

Jagoe St turns left and becomes Malone St

0.7 mi

Turn right onto US-380 E/W University Dr

20 min (13.0 mi)

Continue on Navo Rd to your destination

1 min (0.2 mi)

Turn right onto Navo Rd/Villa Paloma Blvd

0.1 mi

Continue to follow Navo Rd

0.1 mi

Turn left

161 ft

Turn left

Destination will be on the left

338 ft

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Each professor will have five minutes to speak about their major and why that field would be a great career choice for students. The ultimate goal of this presentation is to encourage students to pursue a journalism degree at UNT. Following the speeches, students will break into small groups to meet with the professors for a group Q&A. 

 

Below you will find the event agenda:

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Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021

                                             

                                                       9:00-9:05 a.m.              School principal DeCorian Hailey delivers welcome message/introduces all UNT faculty

                                                     

                                                       9:06-9:11 a.m.              Neil Foote presents information on print & digital journalism program

                                         

                                                       9:12-9:17 a.m.              Kim Keller discusses the PR program

 

                                                       9:18-9:23 a.m.              Brice Cambell speaks on advertising program

 

                                                       9:24-9:29 a.m.              Brittany McElroy speaks about broadcast journalism program

 

                                                       9:30-9:35 a.m.              Stephanie Garza gives an overview of UNT and how to apply

 

                                                       9:36-9:45 a.m.              Break

 

                                                       9:46-10 a.m.                 Small groups/ Q&A