Breanna Tillie
The University of West Georgia School of Communication, Film and Media hosted its second annual Media Night on Oct. 3.
“Media Night is one of the most important nights for SCFM because this is where all of our donors come,” said Cindy Martinez, an ambassador for SCFM. “We host a big night for them with speakers, cocktails and a full course meal.”
Media Night allowed for networking opportunities and it gave the ambassadors a chance to see why the funds are necessary for the SCFM.
“The student speakers did a great job touching the hearts of the donors to encourage them to support SCFM. They encouraged the ambassadors as well,” said Martinez. “One speaker discussed how every student goes through the motions of graduating and getting butterflies when applying for jobs.
“This speaker said she applied for her first job in Atlanta, but things didn’t go quite as planned,” continued Martinez. “She was really spiritual and encouraged us to have faith that your destiny will work out for you, even if you don’t get it right the first time.”
Martinez became an ambassador for SCFM when the school was recruiting for more public relations students to join them.
“The previous year, nobody applied from the area of public relations. There were people from film and journalism, but they were really wanting some PR students to do it,” said Martinez. “My professor pushed me to apply and I didn’t really think much about it, but then I was scheduled for an interview. Before long, I was a part of it and I’ve had so much fun.”
Martinez believes that being an ambassador for SCFM is a rewarding and fulfilling experience that has helped her really appreciate the SCFM at UWG.
“We do all kinds of events. It’s really cool to network with people who are already in the industry,” said Martinez. “I really love the SCFM culture and I’d love to see it grow because I really think the resources we have here are top-notch. Not all schools have the opportunity to actively engage in their work and access so many things free of charge.”
Martinez says the courses offered in the SCFM have allowed her to learn a great deal about her field and she feels they have prepared her well for the public relations industry.
“In PR Management, we made communications plans and presented our work in front of a live audience. Our professor even gave us oral feedback once we were done to let us know what we did well and how we can improve,” said Martinez. “In PR cases, we read about different PR disasters and the crises that happened if the companies did not have proper communications plans in place. I really learned a lot.”
As an ambassador for SCFM, Martinez cheers on all communications students to remain diligent in pursuing their degrees.
“I would tell every student to keep going, even when it’s hard,” said Martinez. “You’re going to be fine. Reach out to your classmates, your professors and your advisors when you’re feeling overwhelmed. They will help you get through it. We’ve got such a supportive team here.”