A Member's Perspective

By Kaki Heiligenthal

When I first joined PRSSA this year, I didn’t really know how much to expect out of it, being as I am already a junior. I then learned about the MentorMatch program and thought I would give it a shot. I was paired up with Molly Sanchez, who does all the public relations for St. George’s Catholic Church and School. Upon our first meeting at LSU, she invited Ashley Crooks and me to come to her office and visit. We agreed and once going there, were each given a huge stack of her work--everything from newsletters to brochures to letters to videos. It was extremely comprehensive, and after going over some of it and being told we were welcome to take it home with us, we took a tour of the campus and she described some of the things she does and pointed out some of the things she writes about. When I was in her office, she was showing us the PRSA website when I came across an internship opportunity. Molly helped me edit my resume, and even gave me advice on what to wear and say during the interview. I ended up not taking the internship for various reasons, but I doubt I ever would have heard about it, much less gotten the opportunity to get an interview, if I had not had Molly’s help. Recently, Molly invited Ashley and I to the PRAL/PRSA luncheon at Juban’s. While all PRSSA members are technically invited, I was so glad once I got there to have Molly with me. It can be a little intimidating walking into a room where you don’t know anyone or even know what the meeting procedure is, but with Molly by my side, we went around the room and meet some other professionals. While we were there, Molly gave me the opportunity to introduce myself in front of the room and announce I was looking for a spring internship. After all the announcements were through, I had three people approach me! Representatives from various offices in Baton Rouge came up to me and offered that they were always looking for interns, gave me their cards and told me I could send them my resume. It could not have been easier to get my name out there or find an internship, and was well worth the $16 lunch. At the end of the lunch Molly also offered me an internship and invited Ashley, Codi, and I to come help her layout a new newsletter she’s putting out. Molly has been an incredible resource for me, and I consider the MentorMatch program to be one of the most beneficial activities I’ve participated in thus far at LSU. I would recommend anyone in PRSSA to take advantage of these great professionals and sign up for a mentor next semester. You’ll make at least one contact and get an idea of what it’s like on the job in the PR field you’re interested in.

About Kaki
Number of Semesters in PRSSA: 1
Classification: Junior
Hometown: Austin, Texas

For more info about MentorMatch, or to write your own Perspective, contact prssalsu@yahoo.com.