My Ode to Platform
Published on April 27, 2017, at 9:24 a.m.
by Lynn Brantley.
As graduation creeps upon me, I find myself looking back and wondering where my senior year has gone — let alone the past four years. I could tell you it was lost to nights staying up late studying, watching football on Saturdays or spending time worrying about being worried about life after graduation. All these moments have unfortunately blurred together, but one of my most memorable times at the Capstone was being part of Platform Magazine.
I’m just going to be honest: I wasn’t the most involved PR student on campus or the one who always had their scheduled filled from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. throughout my college career. However, being involved with Platform made it seem as if I fit right in to that category, and I’ll briefly explain why.
My peers on the Platform team and fabulous adviser (Tracy Sims, where you at!?) have made me feel like I’ve been immersed in the PR community since day one. Working with these passionately led students inspired me every day and served as a constant reminder why I decided to major in public relations. They helped me both inside and outside the classroom, whether it was helping me find primary sources for an article or even eating *fried Fridays together.
Secondly, my network expanded tremendously in the past year with peers and PR professionals. I was able to speak with PR professionals in all kinds of industries ranging from advertising to sports and even educators who shared with me their experiences, which helped serve as guidance to the type of career path I wanted to pursue. Compared to the beginning of my time with Platform, I would get nervous even reaching out to a networking source through an email. But if you were to ask me to do it right now, I would say that’s the easiest and more enjoyable part of this industry.
And lastly, I can’t forget to mention the opportunities Platform has given me. My résumé is now stacked with leadership positions that have become key talking points in interviews (and helped me land my dream job!). My writing portfolio is filled with articles and blogs about topics that I’m passionate about, making my writing skills even more evident to those who read them. Most importantly, AP style is starting to become more of a second nature that I hope will be recognized in my work well after graduation.
Over the course of the past two semesters I’ve been with Platform, both the students and staff have made me feel like I’m part of the PR family as if I was the super PR student just like them. But what I’ve learned most in Platform is that you can’t sell yourself short because of what you’re involved or not involved in or how many internships you’ve had. It’s about surrounding yourself with people who take you as who you are and encourage you to be the best you can be every single day in the industry you love.
So I thank you, Platform Magazine, for the bright students you recruited and developed in the past 10 years and here’s to 10 more years!
*Fried Friday’s is exactly what you’d think it is … fried food galore.
