Issue #4: December, 2007 In this issue:
Do you remember how suddenly your instructors were reviewing for the midterm exam, when it felt to you as though the class had just started? Our third year students end their summer on a DFS, start the fall semester and have to turn right around to find the second work term placement. What is amazing is what we do accomplish and how, despite the stress, our students continue to meet and (occasionally) exceed all our expectations. I have just finished Strategic Communication Planning with our senior class and have to say how gratifying it was to, once again, watch the teams get out there and offer carefully thought out communication solutions to organizations of all kinds. To those alumni who were involved in any way – thank you for your support and ongoing interest in our program. Update on impending university status As many of you have heard, the College is deeply engaged in the transition to becoming an undergraduate university. For us, this means creating “new” Bachelor of Communication degrees to replace our Bachelor of Applied Communication degrees. What does that look like? Instead of six academic semesters and two work terms, there will be two work terms and eight academic semesters. The extra courses will be primarily general education (what you will remember as arts and sciences.) I can assure you that there are very few changes in our curriculum beyond the extra general education work we will require (including a statistics course, by the way. Thanks, Jim!) The reason for this? It allows Mount Royal to step up and fill even more of the province’s pressing needs for more undergraduate “seats” in post-secondary education. With Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education degrees, we will be able to ensure our students have full access, should they want it, to graduate-level education. I am of mixed emotions about this shift because I have always been utterly convinced that our program is exactly what’s needed. However, time marches on and change is inevitable. The next graduates will also find their way into the profession and beyond, and that’s what matters. Questions? Please feel free to call or e-mail me. Remembering Crystal I know that many of you have been following the courageous journey Crystal Hehr (graduated 2004), has been on. I am so grateful to those of you who alerted me to Crystal’s situation because it allowed me to be a part of the community Crystal and her close friends created as she struggled and learned from her battle with cancer.
Her Web site and blog www.loveforcrystal.com has been an inspiring example of what one person can do when life becomes an impossible challenge. Crystal died on December 12 and we have already heard from several faculty members who remember her well. Our hearts go out to her family and friends at this difficult time. And my heart goes out to all of you, as well, as we approach the holidays. It’s a crazy busy time, but I can tell you that, thanks to Crystal and her irrepressible energy and love of life, I will take more naps, eat more chocolate and hold my loved ones nearer because that’s what matters most. Thank you alumni for a great year. We will be back in 2008 with more news and chances for you to get involved. Here’s to love and peace…and chocolate! God bless us every one!
Janice Robertson
Alumni Working Around the World… Public Relations graduates from Mount Royal are among the most versatile and well respected professionals in their field. This is evident by the diverse locations and businesses in which Mount Royal alumni find themselves. Many alumni working abroad contact Janice Robertson, the chair and Jim Wood, instructor, with stories about their experiences around the world. Here are some examples: Suzanna Shelley, Class of 2004 I've left the UK for now and am working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean as a Communications Manager. I am now cruising the Eastern Mediterranean as the Ocean Village ship crossed the Atlantic back in April and it will be back in the Caribbean in November. I will be back on the ship then too over Christmas and we’re looking to see how we can bring Santa Claus in on the cruise ship…last year he came in on a helicopter…we might try a jet ski this year but it’s early days yet! It's great fun as I get to travel while doing work I love. I wanted to do that from the moment I started in the PR program (well my goal was to work in the tourism industry anyway!). It's a 6 month contract and I'll see what happens after that. The job involves doing all the copy for onboard, newsletter, promos and organizing the celebration packages.
A move to New Zealand was the logical next step after earning my public relations degree. Okay, maybe not logical but it was a way to put off acquiring a mortgage, a car payment and settling into a full-time career at much too young an age. Even though it hasn’t been a ladder climbing pursuit, it has certainly been a life changing one. Living and learning in a new culture has a way of showing you your weaknesses and building on your strengths. I know now that there is such a thing as too much planning, but have no qualms about striking up conversation with anyone I come across. If you’ve ever thought you might like to travel – go for it! And, if you enjoy natural beauty and still want to speak English (in one of its many variations), New Zealand is a beautiful option. I would love to hear from you. Contact me at tellisa@hotmail.com Please send your stories and photos to share with everyone to elennox@mtroyal.ca. Alumni Return to the Classroom… Throughout the academic year, there are numerous opportunities for alumni to return to the classroom and speak to the students about real life situations in the world of PR. If you are interested in guest speaker opportunities, contact elennox@mtroyal.ca. We welcome your participation in our program. Here are a couple of examples of alumni who have returned to share their stories. Natalie Harper, Brookline PR, class of 2006 “My message is it’s possible”, said Natalie speaking to Jane McNichol’s Investor Relations class. “If you are a quick learner or if you are interested, you can do anything,” she told the group of senior public relations students attentively listening to her message of what the real world of public relations is like. Natalie Harper related her experiences over the past year since she was a student in that very class. The students were anxious to hear how she moved up so quickly in the Calgary agency. Recently promoted to the position of Account Executive, Natalie is the sole person responsible for investor relations and media relations. Natalie spoke about the difficulties in working with specific types of clients but she reflected on how much this program prepared her for the real world. She talked about the importance of transparency and on the different perspectives of investor relations versus public relations within an organization. It was obvious from the enthusiastic questions thrown at her that the students wanted to know what it was really like, how difficult it was to tackle day to day issues and especially, what financial reward they could expect at the starting gate. Panel of Alumni address 2nd year DFS Class… Instructors Teresa Scarlett, Pam Ashcroft and Jamie Leong-Huxley facilitated the DFS panel discussion on June 22 for the 2nd year students. Students took time out from their summer workterms to learn more about expectations for the Sept 12th Showcase where they presented their work. Alumni Jill Hilderman, class of 2000, Tanya Ristoff, class of 2006, Denita Davis, class of 2001 and Ryan Murray, class of 2006 participated in the panel discussion. They shared their stories about their own DFS placements, acknowledging that the difficult placements brought as many learning opportunities as the positive ones. Their message to “hang in there” and learn from each situation was well received by the students who were anxious to ask questions from this experienced panel. The student Showcase was held on September 12th featuring student work during their summer DFS placement. Alumni, faculty and staff turned out to support the students and view their hard work. The Job Seekers Network began a number of years ago when Jim Wood, instructor, started spreading the word about openings in the field of public relations. It quickly grew and became an important avenue for businesses to find practitioners with the best training available. Where else but at Mount Royal! Just over a year ago, this network became the responsibility of Elizabeth Lennox who accepts postings by email and sends them out to over 200 alumni on the network. Send your postings to Elizabeth at elennox@mtroyal.ca. Postings are sent out within 24 hours and interested applicants will contact you directly. By Jenna Stuckey, alumna, class of 2006
My education at Mount Royal College had more than prepared me for the role so I applied. Five months later, I am living in Banff and working in a position that is even better than I expected it would be. As a new grad, I felt prepared to work in pubic relations, finding a job was the challenge. The alumni e-mails alerted me to positions I potentially would not have found on my own and now that I have a job, keep me aware of career trends in the industry. On November 1, eighteen mentors, senior students and first year students gathered at Bass Brothers to celebrate their successes and share experiences. Judging from the enthusiastic conversations and stories shared, the Public Relations Tri-Mentoring program is on target and gaining momentum.
Now that the program is established and thriving, the Centre is excited at the prospect of new mentors participating in 2008. In January, they will be looking for you to partner with one of our senior students to share your wealth of experiences. Stay tuned for more information in the new year. If you have any questions about mentorship, contact Elizabeth at elennox@mtroyal.ca. Many of our Public Relations graduates are involved with interesting activities and would like to invite you to join them. If you have an activity or an event that you would like to share with alumni, send a notice to Elizabeth at elennox@mtroyal.ca. Yoga and Fitness Retreat
Who knew you could find clarity and inspiration with magazine clippings, a glue stick and scissors? I recently did just that by taking part in a creative visualization activity with a group of friends and colleagues. The result was my own authentic vision board, or a collage of images and words that resonate with what I want. Prior to this experience, I was no stranger to the idea of attraction, or using visualization and energy to *attract* what I want to create in life. But, I had never actually gone through the process of using my creativity and intuition to create a physical representation of my vision. For me the experience solidified what I truly want - I was able to focus on a specific goal and connect with how it would look, and more importantly feel, to accomplish it. This connection is very powerful, and creating a vision board is a great way to find it. For more information on creating vision boards, go to http://www.cynergygroup.ca. Co-founded by Alumna (class of '06) and PR DFS Coordinator Cindy Drummond and her partner Bev Williams, the Cynergy Group is dedicated to helping people make positive changes in their lives through improvement workshops and seminars. Remember to let us know when you move or change jobs so we can keep in touch and let you know about all the great things that are happening in our program. This information is for Public Relations alumni. If you would like to be removed from the distribution list, just email: elennox@mtroyal.ca. |
I have always found the fall semester to be the one that literally flies by in terms of the work to be done and the time we have available to do it. 
Tellisa Cairns, Class of 2007
I wasn’t looking for a job in one of the most beautiful places in Canada at the time, but I opened the posting anyway. The media relations position with Ski Banff – Lake Louise – Sunshine offered an opportunity to practice international media relations while living in the town of Banff. Like many of the postings from MRC Alumni, the position seemed interesting, challenging and relevant. 
To recap, in May, 11 public relations alumni met their senior student partners. By September, when the new crop of first year students arrived, 16 new students were anxious to be partnered with one of the original 11 senior students. It was easy to find an additional five senior students to take on the role of mentor. On Sept 12th, a pizza lunch was held to introduce those new first year students to their senior student partners. There are now 38 participants in the first year of the program. 
Get a kick start to a healthy New Year with a Yoga & Fitness retreat in Lake Louise, with PR Graduate, Sara Schwarz. Join her in this all inclusive retreat January 11-13 at Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. Enjoy daily yoga classes, snowshoeing, hiking, meditation, cooking classes and much more, for a reasonable cost. All fitness levels welcome, and no yoga experience required. For more information, please email Sara at 
Creating a vision board - a first-hand account...
Elizabeth Lennox