Some of you may know Megan Bauer from the School of Journalism and Communications here on campus. Others may know her from a dance, economics or even a psych course. Either way, this public relations/advertising double major with minors in dance, econ, and psych is one busy girl. She just finished up an internship with JetBlue Airways in New York City this summer, and has several other internships under her belt. She is hard working, ambitious, and full of personality. Check out this Q&A session she had with Her Campus Oregon.
What made you decide on becoming a PR/Ad major?
I originally started out as a pre-med major because I wanted to make a difference in the community. After doing two terms of chemistry and being completely miserable, I decided to take a step back and rethink all my classes and what I was interested in. I went to different guidance councilors to figure out my options, and finally met with Bill Morrill, who introduced me to the PR major—which I immediately knew was for me! After being in the School of Journalism, I started hearing more about the ad major and got really interested in the creative side of communications. At first I was stuck between both majors in my mind, but then decided that PR was my primary focus, and that I could use advertising to enhance my PR passion through the use of creative ideas.
What is your favorite aspect about PR/Ad?
I’ve always said that my happiest time would be sitting and talking to people all day long, that is what I truly love to do! My favorite part of public relations is the networking aspect. I like hearing about individual people’s stories because I think you can learn a lot by listening to people’s history and where they came from.
Do you have any plans after graduation?
I love learning about different cultures and seeing new things and place, so I would really like to go to Europe for a month because I’ve never been. I want to see as many places as I can. I plan to take a backpack, stay in hostels, and see as many places as possible.
Do you have any role models?
I admire Tiffany Gallicano (SOJC Professor) because she is excellent at what she does. She really imposes the importance of grammar. What I hear from many professionals is that they don’t think enough PR graduates have proper grammar and writing skills, and that is something that Tiffany places importance on. She also cares about her students’ success and goes beyond her role as an instructor to help her students succeed. She puts a lot of time into meeting with students inside and out of the classroom.
Does PR play a role in your everyday life?
Yes–because I’m communications is a part of everyday life. It’s basic human nature to communicate with others, and that’s why I feel communications is a major part of life, because we all use it to build relationships everyday.
What advice can you give aspiring PR majors?
I stress the importance of internships. It gives you the experience that companies are looking for. So start trying to get internships as early as you can. Secondly, it’s important to network and that goes back to, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” One time at an airport, I started talking to a woman and she turned out to be the product purchaser for Nike Corporate. You never know what can come from having little interactions with different types of people. I also recommend that people should network not only with students but people in the community. Lastly, get involved in campus outside the journalism school. for example, I’m a dance minor and am very passionate about it. Do things you’re interested in! You never know what you’re going to do in your field, so even if it doesn’t seem relevant at the time, it may come back in some weird way!