PRestige All-Star: Kaitlin Cubria

Kaitlin Cubria

Whether Kaitlin is at her internship in the city or building community in Colonial Square, she is always pushing herself to try new things! Her internship experience is truly remarkable!

Where are you from?
Staten Island, NY

Major?
Public relations, minoring in Journalism and Speech Communication and Rhetorical Studies

What made you interested in your major?
I honestly didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up (and I still don’t know), but I knew I wanted a career in the field of communications. I barely knew what public relations was when I entered college, but I saw that the classes involved media, writing, creativity and communication – everything I would look for in a potential career.

What are you involved in on/off campus?
On campus, I am on the e-board for the Ed2010 magazine networking club, the founder of Hofstra’s branch of HerCampus.com and the vice president of the newly founded Hofstra branch of nonprofit, She’s the First. I am also an RA in Colonial Square for the only first-year house, and I work on campus for the Radio, Television and Film department. Off campus, I currently have my dream internship at Seventeen Magazine in the web department!

Please describe your past/current internships.
As previously mentioned, I currently intern for Seventeen Magazine, Web Editorial; double interned this summer for New York magazine Social Media/Public Relations and WPIX11 Public Relations, and last spring I interned for Hearst Magazines Public Relations.

Can you please elaborate on your Seventeen internship for us?
Since it has always been my dream to be a part of Seventeen, I had high expectations for the internship… and it exceeded them! A majority of Seventeen interns will tell you, they treat each intern like a member of their staff. I get first-hand experience in Content Management System, attend exclusive events, interview celebrities and “real people,” write original content for their Style Blog and CosmoGirl’s “Daily Kiss” blog, and even manage and edit the entire blog for their college reality program “Freshman 15!” Ultimately, no day is ever the same. It’s fast paced, and an incredible environment to learn from and work in.

Where do you see yourself after Hofstra?
Definitely living in the city – home is already close, but I still would love to wake up in NYC every morning. I can definitely see myself doing one of two things: entertainment/lifestyle public relations or magazine editorial (print or online). These are extremely competitive industries, but I can’t help what I love.

What advice do you have for anyone else who wants to be an all-star?
Make the most out of your time – even if you cannot intern, join as many clubs on/off campus that are relevant to your career path, write for as many publications as possible to get bylines, network at events and in your classes, and just do whatever it takes to get your name out there in this big competitive industry. If you’re unsure of what you want to do for the rest of your life, don’t be afraid to dip your feet into different forms of communications once you start interning. I’ve dabbled in web, print, television and in-house PR, and I’m still unsure, but I’m definitely learning something from each experience I delve into in the industry.

Do you have a Twitter page or blog? If so, what are their URLs?
Yes, you can follow me at @KCubes. I don’t have my own personal blog anymore, but you can look at Hofstra’s branch of HerCampus, and Seventeen.com’s Style blog and College Blog for my entries.

PRestige All-Star: Lisa Jablon

Lisa Jablon

Lisa Jablon is the current president of Hofstra’s chapter of PRSSA. PRSSA is PRestige’s umbrella organization. Whether she is building community in her residence hall or selling a bag at Vera Bradley, Lisa is always keeping herself busy!

Where are you from?

I’m from Terryville, CT (right outside of Bristol)

Major?

Public Relations major, minoring in Marketing and English

What made you interested in your major?

In high school, I was the director of public relations for the LEO club, which was the junior Lion’s club in my town. We were in charge of a lot of community service activities in the town. Our adviser was the School to Career coordinator in my high school, and she became my mentor throughout school and guided me in my public relations path!

What are you involved in on/off campus?

On campus – I am the president of PRSSA, a resident assistant in the Netherlands leadership house, and a member of WRHU Radio Hofstra University.

Off campus – I am a store associate at Vera Bradley in the Roosevelt Field Mall.

When did you get involved with PRSSA?

I got involved my sophomore year, and became the secretary for my junior year.

How has PRSSA helped you?

PRSSA has helped me learn some amazing hands-on skills that I wouldn’t have been able to learn in the classroom. I have learned how to network, how to plan and actually pitch events, and I have met so many peers and professionals who have been an amazing support system throughout my four years at Hofstra.

What do you plan to do as President? What are your goals for the year?

As President, I hope to learn and understand our members and their needs, because PRSSA is an organization that works for the students. I hope our membership can see how hard our executive board is working this year to make some amazing events, seminars, workshops, and more.

What internship do you have/have you had in the past?

I was the Marketing & Communications Intern for the Central CT Chambers of Commerce for two summers and a winter session. It was a great opportunity and I learned all about the Bristol and surrounding communities and how to successfully market to our membership. This was a paid position, and they even asked me to stay for the second summer and fill in for my supervisor who was on maternity leave.

Where do you see yourself after Hofstra?

I see myself living somewhere on the Island or in a borough, and working in New York City. Ideally I would love to work for a television station or network in an in-house public relations position, but I’m keeping my options open!

What advice do you have for anyone else who wants to be an all-star?

Really take advantage of all the opportunities that Hofstra has to offer. The School of Communication alone has so many different clubs and organizations that you can be involved in and shine through. I think it’s important to work towards your goals and show and help others to achieve them with you.

Check out Lisa’s blog here!

Follow Lisa on Twitter!