When Amber Burns first stepped foot on Temple’s campus as a freshman in 2011, she immediately knew she wanted to get involved, but the real question was, “With what?” Little did she know all it would take was a student speaking about PRowl Public Relations at an open house to steer her in the right direction.
Burns is a 2015 graduate and PRowl alumni who attributes her growth as a PR professional to all PRowl offered her.
“PRowl gives you confidence that other students might not have. You learn how to conduct yourself in the business world and ultimately, it helps prepare you for life after graduation,” said Burns.
After joining in the spring of 2012, she immediately began to expand her skills in public relations and truly develop a passion for the industry. Burns wasted no time taking advantage of every possible learning opportunity that came her way through PRowl, from working on writing samples for her portfolio to learning how to write a strong resume and cover letter.
It was this exact eagerness and excitement that led her to hold various leadership roles in the firm. Burns first became Secretary, followed by Director of Public Relations her sophomore year, Assistant Firm Director her junior year and achieved the title of Firm Director her senior year. Through these leadership positions, she started to learn more than she could ever imagine.
“As a leader, you learn so much about yourself and your abilities. PRowl helped me understand how to delegate and manage projects, develop time management skills and prepare myself for the real world,” mentioned Burns.
Aside from being actively involved with both PRowl and Temple’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), Burns also had multiple internships, one of them the Independence Seaport Museum where she worked as their public relations and marketing intern. She gained hands on experience helping grow the museum’s social media presence and promoting exhibits on display.
Burns also interned with the National Constitution Center in their public relations department, where she developed press releases, media alerts and social media posts. She coordinated an event welcoming local mommy bloggers with an exclusive museum experience.
Two years after graduation, Burns is the Media Relations Specialist at Visit Philadelphia, where she works with media ranging from Instagram influencers to local and national news on a regular basis. Also, Burns helps with their social media team to create and develop social media content.
Looking back on her experience in PRowl, one word came to mind – dedication. Burns believes the firm had a successful 10 years of service because of the dedication PRowl members have toward themselves, their accounts and the firm as a whole.
With all of this in mind, her advice to current PRowl members is simple, “Whatever you put into this experience is what you’ll get out of it. Put as much time and energy into it as you possibly can because I promise it will pay off in the end.”
This alumni spotlight was written by Director of Finance Lauren Marhefka.
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