Meet the 2016 Vice President: Kelly Larson

The Illinois State University Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America welcomes Kelly Larson to the executive board as the 2016 vice president. Larson is a senior with a passion for all things marketing and public relations. She is a go-getter with big plans for her future in the public relations industry. Continue reading to learn more about ISU PRSSA’s new VP, and discover why she is so passionate for the field of public relations.
 
Tell us about yourself.
I am a senior public relations major graduating in May 2016. I grew up in Lombard, Ill., transferred to ISU junior year and got involved with ISU PRSSA right away. I have a passion for working with media and enjoy expressing myself through creative writing. I approach new challenges head on and am determined to succeed in whatever adventure my future holds for me.

What made you choose to be a public relations major?
I originally wanted to be a marketing major, but after doing research on public relations I found a lot of similarities between the two. I felt like public relations would provide me with more of an opportunity to express myself in a creative way. After researching the ISU School of Communication and public relations program, I knew that it was something I wanted to be a part of. I am still passionate about marketing and received the certification for consumer marketing  from the College of DuPage. 

Who is the one person in your life that you look up to the most?
I look up to my parents and older brother the most. My parents have always been incredibly supportive of everything I do, and my brother was the first person in my family to graduate college. 

What is one of your biggest accomplishments in your time at Illinois State University?
Being appointed vice president for ISU PRSSA this semester has been a huge accomplishment. After attending PRSSA 2015 National Conference in Atlanta this past November, I fell even more in love with being active in such a phenomenal Chapter. If you were to tell me when I first joined ISU PRSSA that I would become vice president, I would have laughed in your face. I am honored that the Chapter and my fellow executive board members believed in me enough to take on this position.  

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Paris has always been a dream for me. I took French in middle school and high school and fell in love with the culture. My high school French teacher was incredibly inspirational and really immersed her students into the French beyond anything you could imagine.

Are you a night owl or an early bird?
I am definitely a night owl. I find that night is when I do my best work and am more focused on getting things done. 

Do you have a personal motto?
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Most people are shocked that I have found a place in a communication driven major. I tend to be more of an introvert, but love to push myself out of that comfort zone because I genuinely love public relations. Once you start pushing yourself to different levels, amazing opportunities and experiences can take place.  

What is one of your pet peeves?
One of my biggest pet peeves is when people are dishonest with me. It takes a lot for someone to gain my trust and honesty goes a long way with that.   

Where do you see yourself after graduation?
I would like to enter a public relations or marketing agency either in Chicago or the surrounding suburbs. I like to multitask and have diversity within the work that I am doing every day. 

What are you most excited about doing in your new role as vice president?
I am most excited to work on the Rowan University NODAC campaign competition. This is a National PRSSA competition that our Chapter earned third place in last spring. The winners were announced at PRSSA 2015 National Conference and it made me really appreciate the hard work that ISU PRSSA puts in to make our Chapter so successful. I am determined to continue that success and give members at PRSSA 2016 National Conference that same sense of pride that I had when I heard our name called out this year. 

If you could give younger public relations students a word of advice, what would it be? 
Be as involved as you can be and start finding internships now! Something I wish I would have done different since entering the public relations program was not getting on the internship train faster. The internship experience I had this past summer with Cupcakes and Cocktails in Chicago helped me gain confidence in my abilities to be a successful public relations and marketing professional.

​Questions composed by Kimi Sanden

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