“What are you going to do with your life after graduation?”; this is a question I have been repeatedly asked since changing my major to strategic communications and my immediate response has always been, “I want to be a social media coordinator for a professional sports team.” However, this answer came despite never actually being in charge of any other social media account besides my own before.

Fortunately, I was given the opportunity this summer to intern with a professor from Temple’s STHM at his company, AthleteCRUSH and put my passions of social media and sports together. Through this experience, I have gained not only a much better understanding of the sports industry and professional figures within it, but have also learned a lot about myself and my capabilities. To anyone thinking of pursuing an internship or career working with social media, here are three tips I have for you!

1. Great organization skills are key.

During my experience this summer, I was the only person responsible for all the content going up on our three social media platforms in addition to writing articles for the website. Organization was key to my success when trying to get the required number of posts out each day and meet my article deadlines. If you fall into this situation like me, my biggest advice is create a media action plan to make your life 100x easier, that way you can map out specifically what post, goes out what day and at what time all in advance.

2. Creativity is a must!

Even though many people use social media on a regular basis, it is very easy for them to get bored with an account and even forget about it if there isn’t any eye-catching, fun or different posts. Use social media to your advantage to really showcase your personality and your company or organization’s morals. Put a funny gif out one day to make people laugh, comment on other posts to remind them you still exist, anything! Social media is a constantly evolving and changing world and if you can be creative and think outside-the-box,  you will be very successful working in it!

3. Do not be afraid to take risks.

This almost goes hand-in-hand with being creative, but also learn to take risks. At some point during your internship or even future job, there will be a point where your social media following ends up plateauing for a little bit and you’re going to wonder what more you can do to increase your followers. In my case, I reached out to athletes from other sports such as the Olympics, American Ninja Warrior and WWE. Taking this risk meant that we could either lose followers because they wouldn’t like our material being posted or we could gain an entirely new audience. In the end, it paid off for us as this new material has become some of our most viewed work and has also gotten us acknowledgment from many of athletes of those sports as well.

Working in social media can be difficult and sometimes overwhelming, but the experience you will get out of it will help you grow as a communications professional. I hope these tips will be of some help to those of you who wish to pursue social media as a career and to those of you who aren’t 100% sure if social media is something you want to do, I say try it! Even if the experience isn’t for you, don’t be discouraged! I guarantee you will still find the opportunity to be very rewarding and worth it.

Hi there! I’m Marissa Reale and I’ll be serving as an Assistant Firm Director of PRowl PR. I’ll also be Vice President of Temple’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). I am so excited to be in such fun leadership positions! I am a Strategic Communication major with a concentration in public relations. I’m also pursuing an Event Planning Certificate from the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management.

This summer, I’m interning for 6abc WPVI-TV Action News in Bala Cynwyd, PA. It’s located right outside of Philadelphia. I love creating original video content and working with my department and on-air talent! I even got to help cover the Cosby trial in Norristown, PA. I’m also a member of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA). In June, PPRA recognized me with the Dr. Jean Brodey award for student achievement.

Interning is one of my favorite things. Interning is afabulous opportunity for students to dive deep into a company’s culture and learn about different industries. In the past, I’ve interned for iHeart Media and Johnson & Johnson. I love making connections through meaningful relationships and working large events.

I love Philadelphia and attending networking events. So far, I’ve visited the Young Professionals programs at the Pyramid Club in Center City, registered for multiple conferences in the fall and plan to attend Philly Magazine’s Best of Soiree in the beginning of August.

This summer, my family and I are visiting Ocean City, Maryland. We’ve been going my and my sister’s whole lifetime and my parents have been going down even before I was born (they even got engaged there)! Even though I’ve been there so many times, it never gets old. It’s my favorite place to relax and reset for the upcoming school year.

Aside from my internship and a small vacation, I’ve been working out and taking cycling classes at Cyclebar in North Wales, PA. It’s a great way to channel your energy and set goals.

My sister, Rachel Reale will also be attending Temple inthe fall as an incoming freshman. Unfortunately, she won’t be in Klein College, but I am still a proud big sister helping her get ready for school!

Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat at @riss_re.

Hi everyone! My name is Joei DeCarlo and I’ll be an Assistant Firm Director (AFD) as well as the Director of Public Relations for our PRSSA chapter this upcoming school year. I am a rising junior double majoring in Strategic Communication and Adult and Organizational Development. I am also pursuing a Master’s in Education as a student in Temple’s 4+1 Program- a mouthful, I know. I’m extremely excited to take on my first executive board position here at PRowl, especially because it will be our tenth anniversary!

I began working at PRowl two years ago during the spring of my freshman year, as well as a member of PRSSA. I started as an Account Associate on the Strategic Communication account and was promoted to Account Executive the following school year. My positions in PRowl thus far have been unique in that I was able to work on an account for one of the majors I am studying. This allowed me to gain real-world experience all while appreciating my studies even more.

When I’m not working on projects for a student organization or studying for classes, I’m usually working part-time as a legal assistant or as a receptionist. I have been working for Abramson & Denenberg, P.C., a law firm in Center City, Philadelphia for four years. The attorneys at our firm handle cases ranging from landlord tenant disputes and police brutality to personal injury and collections. My job gives me the ability to learn something new about our legal system every day and to incorporate both of my majors by working closely with attorneys and staff and communicating with clients on a daily basis. I also work as a receptionist at my family’s business, DeCarlo Hair Salon. You can usually find me answering phones, scheduling appointments, placing product orders, or ringing our customers.

Although it sounds like I work non-stop, I’ve made sure that I still have fun this summer. I’ve visited some local spots here in the city such as Spruce Street Harbor Park and South Street. So far I’ve seen Hall & Oates, Tears for Fears, and Ryan Adams in concert. Every summer I make sure to see Billy Joel. This will be his 6th year performing at Citizens Bank Park! I made a trip down the shore to Ocean City, NJ and I attended the BIG3 Basketball Tournament to see Allen Iverson & Julius Erving. 

                                Shot of Ryan Adams…. No Zoom!!!                        Directory at Spruce Street Harbor Park

Feel free to connect with me on social media. I’m always ready to go to Starbucks and talk about anything school, legal, or music related! 

Connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram @joei_decarlo!

Hi Everyone! My name is Jill, coming to you from Staten Island, New York. I am a second-semester senior at Temple, studying public relations. I have been a part of PRowl since I was a Sophomore. I am currently serving as Secretary. PRowl has been a such a huge part of my growth as a PR student. It is so exciting that we will be celebrating 10 years!

Prior to the beginning of summer there was a huge uncertainty in my life. To intern or to not intern? Those who know me know that my answer is ALWAYS intern. Interning introduces you to hard skills, talented minds, and new perspective. However, after spending almost every semester and my last two summer’s interning, part of me needed a break to enjoy things other than an afternoon coffee, a hot-off- the-printer press release, and the excitement of a media hit. Yet, I did not want to be unproductive. After intern applications, interviews, and long conversations with professors, family, and friends – I finally gained some clarity. FREELANCE! Freelancing gave me the flexibility I was looking for, the chance to learn the nitty and gritty details of freelancing, and it keeps me both learning and contributing to a great agency. Last summer, I had the opportunity to intern with Flackable (Shout out to Temple Alum, @Brianhartpr). After staying in contact with Brian and his team of PR rockstars, they needed a PR gal, and I was interested in keeping my skills sharp.

While I am not working on Flackable assignments, I am enjoying every bit of sun before heading into my last semester at Temple and ultimately the working world. Thus far, I have ventured out on weekend trips to Lake George or the shore. I have connected with my athletic side and *tried* to hike. Miley Cyrus was right, life is a climb (a huge, uphill, 5-mile climb) but the view is great. Additionally, I got to see my home, NYC, in a new light – I took a trapeze class. Flying was fun; but, I’m happy I attend Temple and not circus school.

Summer seems to be coming to end quickly, less than two months until the beginning of the semester? Time flies! However, in a few weeks, I will be taking a family trip to Bermuda. Shortly after, I’ll be venturing to Belize, Honduras, the Cayman Islands, and Cozumel Mexico. YAY! In between working and having a “last summer before a 9-5 job” celebration, I made sure to secure a fall semester internship. My past internships have opened my eyes to how much PR has to offer. There are so many industries that we, as pre-professionals, can get involved in. While I may not be able to decide just yet where I want to be for the next 30+ years, I do have a strong interest in healthcare. I am so excited to further explore that interest this fall at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). I believe interning at CHOP will be rewarding, appropriately challenging, and an incredible learning experience. I look forward to contributing the children of CHOP, their families, and the greater Philadelphia community alike.

Keep up with me on Twitter: @Jillcurcio_ and Instagram: Jill_Curcio.

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jilliancurcio/

I am ALWAYS down for coffee, let’s chat!

Hello there! My name is Alexa Vecchione and I’ll be PRowl’s Director of Public Relations this upcoming year! I’m a rising senior majoring in Media Studies & Production on the Media Business track with a minor in PR and a certificate in Event Leadership (a mouthful, I know). I’m super excited to work with the rest of e-board and our new and returning PRowlers this year!

Last year, I served as an Account Associate for the firm. I really enjoyed all of the work I got to do in this position, as it gave me a great experience to carry on throughout the rest of my academic and professional career! As DPR, I’ll be in charge of the firm’s social media and blog. I have a lot of ideas, but would love some feedback from you all as well!

This summer has been pretty busy so far! I decided to take on not one but TWO internships. I am the marketing & social media intern at the Philadelphia Film Society and the marketing & communications intern for Temple’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management. I’m really enjoying both positions because I get to work in two very different environments and learn tons of new things. Besides interning, I’m also spending my summer working at Saxbys (and drinking waaaay too much coffee)!

Somewhere in my busy schedule, I managed to plan a few beach trips as well as a camping trip this summer. I’ve also been spending a good amount of time planning a trip to Barcelona in the fall with some of my best friends.

After college, I hope to be working in digital marketing/PR within the arts & entertainment industry. After interning for two non-profits so far, I could definitely see myself working for a non-profit in the future!

I’m super excited for another great year with PRowl! This will be PRowl’s 10th birthday (wow!) so I can’t wait to celebrate all of the great work the firm has done these past years and what’s to come. If you ever have any questions about PRowl, social media, or really anything else, please reach out! I’m always here to help 🙂

Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn!

Marissa Reale, (’18), was the recipient of the Dr. Jean Brodey Student Achievement Award at this year’s Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA)  annual meeting.The award is given annually to a college junior or senior who has exhibited outstanding professional promise in the field of public relations, has an excellent academic track record and contributes to his or her community. Only one student is selected from among student nominees from colleges in the Greater Philadelphia region.

“I am so honored to be selected to receive such a prestigious award. It’s incredible to be recognized from such a fantastic organization. I love the opportunities this organization gives to students, as well as Temple University for being so connected to its surroundings,” Reale said.

Reale is the seventh Temple student to receive the Brodey award, the most from any university in the region since the award’s inception in 2002.

She is heavily involved in Temple’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and Temple’s only and nationally affiliated student-run PR firm, PRowl Public Relations. Reale serves as Vice President and Assistant Firm Director respectively. She is also a member of PPRA.

The meeting took place on Thursday, June 22 at in the new Museum of the American Revolution in Old City, Philadelphia.

KYW Newsradio’s Pat Loeb served as the moderator for the evening. Attendees also heard from Terrance C.Z. Egger, Publisher and CEO of the Philadelphia Media Network, and Michael Days, editor of the Philadelphia Media Network’s three media properties — the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com.

If you’re like myself and have an hour and a half commute into a city, you have to hope for the best and prepare the worst. Grab your biggest bag and get packing!

This blog post was written by PRowl Firm Director Clarissa Ford.