Member Monday – Imani Henry

Imani Henry is a sophomore public relations major at Illinois State University with a minor in financial planning. As a first generation college student, Henry aspires to work for UNICEF and hopes to study abroad in Ireland upon graduation.

Tell us about yourself.

I am a first generation college student from Evanston, Ill. I began my journey as a Redbird last fall. Aside from being a PRSSA member, I am also a tour guide for East Campus. I hope to become a resident assistant next fall and study abroad in Ireland over the summer. I initially attended an ISU PRSSA Chapter meeting as an assignment for COM 178, Introduction to Public Relations. However, I instantly fell in love with the members and atmosphere this professional organization has and knew I wanted to become a member.

Why do you want to study abroad in Ireland?

Since grammar school, I have been obsessed with the Irish culture and secretly wanted to become a river dancer. I recently discovered there is a summer study abroad program to Ireland for 17 days, which is like a dream come true.  I love that its only 17 days because it’s long enough to experience Ireland but short enough that I will not become homesick.

What are you involved in on campus?

 I am involved in UNICEF, which is new to campus this semester. Last semester, I joined the Pre-Law Club because I have a passion for law and the justice system.

Describe your dream job.

I would love to work in agency or nonprofit  public relations, but my dream job is to work for UNICEF on the crisis management team. I would relocate anywhere just to work for UNICEF.

What attracted you to UNICEF?

Last semester, I watched a documentary in a politics class about couples in America who were in the process of adopting children internationally but endured complications due to the faulty system. The documentary showed videos of orphanages in Vietnam, Haiti and Africa. It was painful to see images of malnourished children being treated more like farm animals then human beings. After the earthquake in Haiti, UNICEF intervened by successfully uniting couples with children that had been in the process of adopting for months, some even years. UNICEF changed the lives of those children. After watching the documentary, I knew UNICEF was the organization for me.

Who inspires you?

Lauren Conrad—she has done public relations for Teen Vogue and written a best seller. She is not only a well-known blogger but also a fashion designer partnering with Kohl’s. Lauren Conrad has accomplished many things that I admire.

What's one change you would like to see occur in your lifetime?


I want to see equality between men and women. I cannot wait to see the day where women and men have the same pay rate. We have come a long way since the women’s suffrage movement but we still have a long way to go.

Questions composed by Kellian Reed

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