Making a Difference

From the moment our first guest speaker, Deanna McKinley, Public Relations Coordinator for Frito-Lay stood up and introduced herself to our class, I knew she wasn’t going to be our typical speaker. She had something about her. Maybe it was her bubbly, somewhat silly personality, or the way she could relate to us, but I knew I was going to like her. And boy was I right. Deanna’s contagious enthusiasm about her job got me excited about the possibilities awaiting me after graduation. It doesn’t have to be scary. Deanna reminded us to never be afraid, to start small and to live with no regrets. 

           

As I began to think about everything she talked to us about, the one thing that stayed with me the most was her story about a St. Claire Shores resident, Michelle “Mickey” Wynn. When Deanna was asked by one of our classmates what her most memorable moment or campaign at Frito-Lay was, her answer was simply refreshing and inspiring. Instead of bringing up a huge campaign or a big promotion, she told us about a woman named Mickey who had been sick with Lupus and was in desperate need for a new roof on her house (or she would be evicted). When Deanna heard about this, and the fact that she was having so much trouble raising money for help, it made her sick to think about. But Deanna didn’t just think about it for a minute and move on. She took action. She immediately called some of her connections in Frito-Lay and asked them what they could do to help. They got a crew together and made Mickey’s roof their community service project.

...here's a link to the story: http://www.candgnews.com/Homepage-Articles/2010/10-20-10/Shores-motown-makeover.asp

           

Edward Everett Hale once said, “I am only one, but I am one.  I cannot do everything, but I can do something.  And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. “ I believe this quote says is it all. Deanna did what she could with what she had, and although she didn’t fix every roof in the country, she made a difference in one person’s life, and that is worth a whole lot. I think people forget that sometimes. They get caught up in the idea that you have to make a big splash to make a difference, but often times the smallest of actions can add up to make more of a difference than you could even imagine. 

When I Grow Up...

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I've been answering this question ever since the first grade when we had to give presentations about what we wanted to be when we grew up. At that time, however, I'm pretty sure my answer was a dolphin trainer. It's strange to think that I'm already only a year away from being to that place I dreamed about 12 years ago. Though I think I can safely say that I no longer want to be a dolphin trainer, a doggy daycare owner, or an astronaut, I'm not sure I can give an exact answer of what it is I do want to do with my life.

However, the more time I spend as a CCPA major at SMU, the more things I begin to realize about myself, my passions, and my interests. Whatever I end up doing, I want to wake up every single day filled with excitement to head straight to work in the morning. I want to have a passion and love for my work, and I really want to make a difference in whatever field I end up working in.

I could see myself working for a non-profit someday, or maybe an event planning company. I think I would really enjoy internal relations within a company or even customer relations. My focus in CCPA is mainly PR, which I think is the best way to really gain writing and practical work-related experience that I could apply to many different jobs and areas.

I love being a student and learning from my professors, classmates, and other professionals I've been lucky enough to meet. I am so excited for this class to get started. I have so much to learn from the professionals coming to speak to our class, and maybe along the way, I'll find my true calling and finally be able to answer the question... What do you want to be when you grow up?