Senior To Watch: Kelly Conrad

Kelly Conrad is finishing her first semester of senior year and on her way to earning a degree in public relations with a minor in political science. The Naperville, Ill., native originally attended Illinois State University to study broadcast journalism but switched to public relations last year and joined the ISU Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. Joining ISU PRSSA provided Conrad the chance to meet fellow public relations students and become more involved.

As an active PRSSA member, Conrad is involved with the Chapter’s student-run firm, PRogressive Image. Last year she developed ideas for upcoming events and created posters for Her Campus, a global online community for college women. This year she is working closely on The Castle Theatre account and has enjoyed interacting with real clients to gain professional public relations experience.

Aside from PRSSA, Conrad has gained professional experience by interning with GSA Public Relations, located in South Korea. As an intern, she produced a social media campaign and conceptualized innovative ways to improve the clients’ overall image to product carriers and consumers. Now she works at Palace Events in Bloomington, Ill., as a wedding coordinator intern.

Conrad is passionate about music and hopes to find a career in the entertainment industry, where she can combine her love for music with public relations. Her favorite place in the world is Chicago, where she has attended Lollapalooza for the last five years. Her dream job is to coordinate the music festival.

Conrad’s advice for new students at ISU is to get involved in multiple organizations. She suggests taking general education courses having no prior knowledge of the subject to explore the different opportunities ISU has to offer. Gaining new experiences is vital to discovering more about yourself and your passions.

Interview by Kimi Sanden

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