Making a Difference

By: Allie King

I recently asked a PR professional, who has worked in agency, corporate and nonprofit PR, which setting she enjoyed the most. “Nonprofit,” she answered. “Because it has been the most rewarding.”

That struck a chord with me, because I have recently realized that I want to work in the nonprofit sector of communications. I had always dreamed of working at a large ad agency, so this summer, I interned with an advertising agency, Siquis LTD., in Baltimore. I gained much knowledge about agency life and learned about many aspects of advertising there, but I did not feel fulfilled. After this experience, I learned that I would rather apply my marketing and communication skills to an organization that strives to better society.

Luckily, The PRactice has given me my first opportunity to work for a nonprofit, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I, like many people, was unaware of the details of cystic fibrosis. It is a genetic, chronic, lung and digestive system disease that affects 30,000 people in the United States. People with cystic fibrosis are expected to live into their 30s and 40s, a much better prognosis than in the past. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation works to find a cure and brings families affected by the disease together.

For CFF, my team and I will be working on managing social media, planning events and helping with graphic design work. I am so eager to dive right into these projects. The experience of learning more about social media management and event planning will be very valuable, but even more valuable will be the experience of making a difference.

@allieekingg