AdGrad shares advice with “next generation” in PRWeek’s Career Guide

Seeing your name printed in one of your industry’s leading trade publications isn’t something many students would expect to see before they’ve graduated.

Not so for senior public relations major Blessing Emeghara, who was featured in PRWeek’s 2012 Career Guide. This special issue focuses on developing future and current professionals’ careers in public relations.

Emeghara was chosen alongside 11 other students to give insight into the skills necessary for upcoming and recent grads to make it in the competitive communication industry job search, to offer advice to others from her mentors and professors, and to share why she chose to pursue a career in public relations.

Emeghara was nominated for the feature by Terry Hemeyer, a senior lecturer in Public Relations and senior consultant to Pierpont Communications.

“It was a tough call for me, as there are many outstanding students in our classes,” Hemeyer said of his nomination. “I felt Blessing could serve as a great example of the quality of our students.”

When she discovered that she had been chosen to participate in the issue, Emeghara was understandably a bit shocked.

“At first, I didn’t believe it. I was like, ‘Why me?’” she said. “It was surreal. Then I went on the website and saw myself on the front page. I was like, ‘OK I’m in PRWeek!’”

Though seeing her name featured in the issue might have surprised her, Emeghara is more than deserving of the honor. In addition to being an exemplary member of the College of Communications, she is also the founder of Real Role Models, a student organization aimed at mentoring at-risk youth in Austin.

Her work was heavily influenced by Hemeyer, whom she cites as one of her own role models.

“[He] is the ultimate PR guru,” she told PRWeek. “He has worked in every sector, including corporate, agency, nonprofit, and government. His genuine passion for PR made me fall in love with it.”

After graduation, Emeghara is considering pursuing a path with Teach for America, the Peace Corps or the U.S. Navy.

“I just really want to work for others right now and then find what I’m going to do and go for it later life,” she said.

There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that this PRWeek interviewee will be extraordinary wherever she decides to devote her time and her future career.

The full interview can be found on the PRWeek website.