April 2001

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Andrea Lee joins the School's staff as public relations assistant.

Lee comes full circle as P.R. assistant

She likes to salsa dance, loves grilled chicken Caesar salads, and sings along with the Dixie Chicks while driving in her 1997 Honda Civic.

A welcome and congratulations are in order for Andrea Lee, a 1999 graduate of the School. Recently hired as the public relations assistant in the School’s Development and Alumni Affairs office, Lee has come full circle. After being one of too many crammed into Howell Hall, she is happy to work in Carroll (in what is arguably the nicest office in the building), and happier still to do so among the faculty that taught her well.

"I always knew I enjoyed journalism and working with people," Lee said. Realizing public relations incorporated both, she took the introductory course with Associate Professor Carol Pardun and continued with the sequence. At the same time, Lee managed to double major in political science. Taken together, she gained the knowledge and experience to work on two student-body presidential campaigns.

"I enjoy variety, and public relations is a field that allows for a constant flow of new experiences," she said.

Coming from a job at UNC News Services, Lee saw the change as an opportunity to be more involved in event planning. And she’s enjoying the chance to give a bit back to the School through her work on projects such as the annual career mentor program. Lee matched more than 70 students with professionals in their areas of interest, organizing a reception for students and mentors to meet.

"I was excited about being able to connect with alumni," she said. "Working on the career mentor program was a great experience."

More recently, she accompanied seven students on a spring break trip to Washington, D.C., where they attended scheduled meetings with professionals in their field.

Andrea hopes to do some freelancing in her free time, for newspapers as well as organizations in need of some media exposure. Last year she contributed periodically to Chatham Crossroads — a community newspaper in Chatham County.

"I wrote a profile about a woman who was a professional storyteller," she said. "I enjoy writing features about people who do unusual things."

There’s the reason for the welcome. So why the congratulations? Because in less than a year Lee will be a bride. With the date tentatively set for September and the place set to be her hometown of Wilmington, she has quite a bit of event planning of her own to do. A new job and a wedding in the not-so-distant future have kept her busy, but so far one has lent itself well to the other.

"Planning a wedding and assisting with events here are of the same nature," Lee said. "Organizing my wedding has proven to be helpful on the job." And planning a wedding should be a breeze after organizing a spring break trip to D.C., right? Well, maybe not, but it’s bound to help.

Though her immediate family still lives at the beach, college and the couple of years since graduation have made Chapel Hill home — at least for now. A campus Christian organization introduced Lee to friends who have since become like family, and free time is often spent exercising, watching movies with friends, or — of course — spending time with her fiancé.

"I’m a restless spirit," she said. "I like free time, but not alone time." That might explain how she managed to be a basketball referee, a softball field supervisor and play on a softball team last year for the Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation department — all of which she would like to do again this summer.

Another hobby? Lee said watching Carolina basketball, of course.

"I pretty much plan my day around the game." As both an alumna and an employee, she’d better.

Jill Aitoro is a second-year master's student in the professional sequence.