April 2001

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Students visit D.C., Atlanta

Spring-break trips provide insight into job possibilities

Thirteen students from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication traveled to Atlanta and Washington, D.C., during spring break to make contacts with School alumni and get a feel for city life.

"A lot of these students have never been to a city like Washington," said Jennifer Lamb, assistant dean for development and alumni affairs. Lamb usually leads the Washington trip, but since she was eight months pregnant this year, Public Relations Assistant Andrea Lee accompanied the group instead.

The trips have become School traditions, so much so that some of the alumni who met with students had taken the trips themselves.

Rebecca Merritt (AB 2000), who now works for the Ketchum public relations firm in Washington, said she remembered going to the nation’s capital with Lamb last spring. Although Merritt did not find her job on the trip, she did decide where she wanted to live.

"I think the trip to D.C. secured my thoughts of coming here and living here," she said.

This year’s Washington group — seniors Karen Williams, Jessica Chinery, Rebekah Butler, Mary "Blake" Smith and Laura Roose; and juniors Katerina Knyazeva and Rachel Clarke — arrived on Saturday, March 10, then spent Saturday night and Sunday getting to know the city.

On Monday, each student had three or four interviews with alumni. Lamb and Career Services Director Jay Eubank started contacting alumni as soon as the two had selected the students for this year’s trips.

Most alumni are enthusiastic about meeting with students, Lamb said.

"Everyone I’ve talked to has taken the program seriously and wants to support it," she said.

On Monday night, the students attended a reception for alumni at the Council on Foundations library. Dorothy "Dot" Ridings, president and CEO of the council and a member of the School’s Board of Visitors, was the event’s guest speaker. Dean Richard Cole also attended.

The Atlanta group —seniors Kim Dronzek, Caroline Patterson and Lorrie Guess; and juniors Stacy Sinclair, Cassie Stox and Ashley Allen — attended an alumni reception Sunday at the Cheyenne Grille. Students and members of the Atlanta Alumni Club watched the ACC Tournament championship.

Like the Washington group, students on the Atlanta trip spent time touring the city, then attended interviews with alumni on Monday.

Eubank said the trips were helpful for all the students, especially those in the advertising and public relations sequences.

"These sequences, when it comes to looking for a job, rely heavily on networking," he said.

Lamb said making contacts and touring the cities weren’t the only selling points for the trips.

"It’s great for them because they come back after three days, and they can still go to Cancun," she said.

Isaac Groves is a junior in the news-editorial sequence.