Name: Spring Harris, 28

Current City: Los Angeles, CA

Looking For: PR Agency Work

Our Notes: We could go on all day. She takes initiative, and is not afraid of a challenge. She’s an engaging writer with a vibrant voice. Plus, she speaks and writes French! Que c’est beau!

On the Web: University Sponsored Site, Coming Soon

EduStats: University of Southern California
Candidate, M.A. Strategic Public Relations
Graduation Date: May 2010

Skills: Strategic Planning, Social Media, Crisis Communications, Media Relations, Writing, Editing, and  All Things French

Mopwater: What made you want to get into this industry?

SH: Honestly, I fell into this industry. I graduated in 2004 with a double major in International Relations and French and I planned to go to law school, but while writing my personal statement, I couldn’t think of a single reason why I wanted to go. Needless to say, it was time to rethink my plans! I decided to take some time away from finding a career and competed as a professional high jumper for about a year before I entered the workforce. My first jobs were less than appealing, but I realized that I enjoyed writing, and when I got the chance to work as a business development/marketing coordinator I jumped on it. To sharpen my skills, I took a few marketing and public relations courses at a local community college and immediately started applying the lessons to my job. However, in the PR course as a final project I designed a campaign for the LA Sparks to increase game attendance and I loved every second of creating it! I decided right then and there that I wanted a career in PR. I applied to USC Annenberg’s M.A. in Strategic Public Relations program and since August 2008, my life has been consumed by PR and I couldn’t be happier! Read the full story

Name: Claudio E. Cabrera, 25

Current City: New York City (Manhattan)

Looking For: A Sports PR Position, Freelance PR / PR Internship Leads, Journalism Opportunities

Our Notes: He’s fashionable, award-winning and game-changing. He won the Independent Press Association 2006 Award for Best Article on a Social, Racial, or Immigration issue. The article, Punishing Phone Call Tax for Prisoners’ Families forced the New York Congress to confront the issue.

Skills: Writing, Editing, Public Relations

On the Web: Live Above Mediocrity

Mopwater: Where do you see yourself fitting into this industry?

CC: Well, I can’t say that I dreamed or even still dream of becoming a publicist; it’s just something that I have experience doing and actually like. But, I don’t like the agency side of it [because] I don’t like being hovered over. I feel I’m at my best when I’m able to sit down and speak with a client one-on-one and develop a plan of attack to garner him/her press. Not to say I wouldn’t take a position with a firm, but I prefer freelancing.

Mopwater: Describe your work history, including relevant internships, up to this point.

CC: While I was in college, I was a paid intern for over two years for the NY Amsterdam News, one of the oldest black newspapers in the country. I was brought on by the owner, Elinor Tatum, and former Editor in Chief Jamal Watson. I covered news in the Harlem community and garnered close to 100 clips at the weekly publication.

I also interned for TravelwithVal.Com, a website that focused on travel deals and destinations. It was a great experience because it exposed me to  a field of writing I was never familiar with. I’ve also interned for the Columbia Records A&R and Universal Music Enterprises Catalog Department.  I was also a writer for DefJam.com profiling artists and generating news pieces.

After graduating [from Brooklyn College] in the summer of 2008, I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to find a job considering the direction the economy was headed in. But I contacted a company called yoonew, whose focus is in sports tickets; and considering that I have experience doing ticket re-selling and journalism, I was brought on as their PR Manager. Read the full story