Students Travel to New York to Participate in the Multicultural Talent Pipeline

Three Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations students are big city bound this month. Angela Montalvo, Joshua Sherden and Chloe Mark are traveling to New York City along with Senior Lecturer Lisa Dobias, to participate in the Multicultural Talent Pipeline (MCTP) September 27-28. This event, hosted by global advertising agency Publicis, aims to bridge the multicultural talent gap in the advertising and public relations industry caused by a lack of diversity.

The MCTP will have panels of media professionals from the advertising and public relations industry addressing unique opportunities for multicultural students in the industry. There will be opportunities for the students to meet and interview with these professionals and their recruiting teams. The MCTP is coordinated with New York City Ad Week, so there will be lots of other networking opportunities for participants.

The MCTP highlights the problematic multicultural gap in the advertising and public relations industry, and Publicis is taking steps to create a diverse talent pipeline for the future generations of advertising and public relations professionals from all backgrounds. We spoke to Angela, Joshua and Chloe about their upcoming trip to New York for the summit.

Q: Wow, what an awesome event to be a part of! How did you hear about it? Was there an application process?

Angela: I first heard about MCTP from Lisa Dobias. She nominated me as one of the students to represent UT and I was honored to be a part of it, especially knowing it takes place during New York Ad Week. MCTP is put on by Publicis and they set up a video interview for us to complete. I also had to register with my credentials and resume.

Joshua: I actually never heard about the event until I was approached by Lisa Dobias after my first day in her class! She just told me and another student that she selected us to attend the event in New York if we were able to, and I jumped on the opportunity immediately. Pretty much after confirming that we can attend, we just had to formally register ourselves for the event, and send in a resume and complete some video interviews for the employers there to see.

Chloe: I never heard about MCTP prior to my conversation with Lisa letting me know she selected me to go with her. I was so excited and honored that she thought of me to attend an event like this because these type of events matter the most. There wasn’t an application process, Lisa selects five students that she wants to go with her and represent UT.

Q: What are you most excited about for the MCTP?

Angela: I’m really excited to meet students from other schools and learn about their interests within advertising. I also look forward to meeting with advertising business professionals and getting to hear about how they got started and the important lessons they’ve learned while in the field.

Joshua: I’m most excited for the opportunity to be surrounded by passionate people, and to meet more industry professionals. I don’t have any doubts about me being in this industry, and I think it’s so awesome to find other people who can push you forward in this early stage of my career. This opportunity that we’re getting is truly a blessing.

Chloe: I’m excited to connect with all of the students from the other schools and hear about their experiences so far and how they plan to take on this industry. I’m also excited to hear from professionals who are already in the industry and how they stand out in their environments.

Q: What do you hope to learn at this summit?

Angela: I hope to gain better insight into the world of advertising through the media and analytical lense, how they work together and how we can prepare ourselves as students to stay ahead in the ever-changing landscape.

Joshua: I want to have my perspective shift a bit to look at diversity in advertising differently. I also want to hear from the industry professionals what they see as the future of advertising, given how so many things in the industry and in the world are causing advertising to transform.  

Chloe: I want to learn how I can help make this industry more diverse through the media lens. I also want to learn how people have overcome the obstacles that people of color face in this industry.

Q: How does the Stan Richards School help you in being a part of these unique opportunities for multicultural students?

Angela: Advising our professors about diversity and emailing the students with these opportunities is really helpful for us.  

Joshua: Constantly informing the students that these opportunities are out there is the biggest thing for me. Whether it be through our professors, social media, LinkedIn, emails, or the career source page, spreading the word is something that the Stan Richards School is great at. Also, organizations like TAG and the Moody College Student Council have been amazing channels of information regarding cool opportunities like this one.

Chloe: The Stan Richards School does a great job of informing students and professors of all of the opportunities that are available to us. I also love how events such as this one are discussed and encouraged.

Q: Why do you think diversity is important in the advertising and public relations industry?

Angela: I had the honor of being a MAIP 2017 fellow and got to see their mission statement in action, encouraging diversity and meeting talented individuals with diverse ethnicities that bring a different light to advertising. Diversity is really coming to the forefront of advertising and many organizations are making this evident rather than missing the mark. I think they know that if diversity is not included, they're missing out on opportunities.

Joshua: Diversity is important in advertising and public relations because it first speaks to reality, but it also speaks to a beautiful opportunity that people can see. I believe it’s not by chance that the entire world breathes diversity, from the people all the way down to the molecules. It’s a special thing that even though there are so many different people, things and perspectives in the world, we can all flourish and live together as one. I believe advertising and public relations can relay this message effectively, especially if this approach to diversity is adopted by organizations and people everywhere.

Chloe: Diversity is the key to any successful campaign or strategy. You always have to have people around you who aren't like you to get a different perspective and better understanding of other people's experiences. Without diversity, advertising cannot be the most successful.