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ALEKZA LATTE Public Relations Student Society of America Alekza Latte is a senior from Katy, Texas who spends her time as a member of Student Foundation, the organizations editor for The Roundup yearbook in addition to being the president of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). In her presidency, Latte organizes workshops, contacts speakers, updates the organization’s social media and acts as a liaison with the Public Relations Society of America Central Texas chapter. As president, one of Latte’s main responsibilities is to inform the PRSSA membership of the tools and resources the organization provides, especially those that could begin a public relations career. These benefits have also rebounded on Latte herself. Her involvement in PRSSA reflects her commitment and enthusiasm for the public relations industry. “You’re striving toward that professionalism,” Latte explains. Latte recalls a panel of recently graduated alumni who returned to offer advice about entering the public relations career field to be the most beneficial PRSSA event. Through the event, Latte was able to discover the benefits of a “networking relationship with recent Baylor grads and [of] having a leg up on people that don’t necessarily have that connection with big firms like that.” Forming connections both outside of and within PRSSA has been crucial for Latte as a graduating senior. “I’ve really loved the relationships that I’ve developed through PRSSA,” says Latte.
LINLEY PISANO Society of Professional Journalists Linley Pisano is one of the Society of Professional Journalists’ (SPJ) two co-presidents. Now a senior, Pisano joined SPJ her freshman year alongside her co-president Caitlin Giddens after the students sat in on an SPJ meeting. She has held various leadership roles within the organization, including Public Relations Chair, Vice President, and now President. SPJ holds monthly meetings that host different journalism professionals who offer their guidance and advice for entry-level journalists. The speakers are generally more focused on the newseditorial side of journalism, but Pisano, who is focusing on public relations, still reaps the benefits. “[The speakers] have always been really interesting!” Pisano affirms. Pisano is currently helping SPJ to include more public relations speakers. Last October, she arranged for her internship supervisor from ESPN Central Texas to speak to SPJ. “Everyone really loved it, and it grabbed more Baylor boys,” Pisano laughs. Pisano would like to begin her public relations career in the agency setting. She hopes to someday incorporate her passion for sports and country music into her career, and believes that her time in SPJ may very well help her to achieve that goal. “I think [SPJ] definitely added to my resume, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. So whether it counted on my resume or not, that’s okay with me,” says Pisano.
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