Shayla Costa

A Guest Post By Shayla Costa, UMASS at Amherst Student, Winner of the PR Expanded Infographic Contest

An assignment in my Principles of Public Relations class with Professor Jennie Donohue was to read Deirdre Breakenridge’s new book Answers for Modern Communicators and create an infographic based on one of four concepts. These concepts included media relations, employee and internal communication, building internal and external relationships, and reputation and trust. For a while I was actually stuck and had no idea what I was going to base my infographic on, until Deirdre answered my questions about her book when she stopped by my class. It was when she said that “Relationships are the heart of every business” that I was hit with inspiration and began to organize my thoughts. In the end I went from not knowing how to begin, to creating the winning infographic amidst a fairly large class.

When Deirdre talked about the importance of relationships in the industry, I immediately knew that I wanted to focus my assignment on the concept of building internal and external relationships. After reading the book, I chose four main points to organize my infographic. These topics included listening, doing research, communicating, and being truthful. Using information from the book, such as the importance of speaking less and listening more and to move your relationships from online to in-person, I elaborated on each section.

In the end, I had an organized infographic that taught a basic understanding of building and maintaining relationships in the industry. I had no idea that I was a finalist to win the competition, so when I got the news that I actually won I was ecstatic. This assignment was an amazing opportunity and learning experience, and I am so grateful that I won. I am focusing on a career in public relations, so being able to get published on PR Expanded is a great gateway to starting my career.

Shayla Costa is a senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst studying Journalism and Portuguese. She is focusing on a career in Public Relations and has already gained experience working with a client and creating press materials through her public relations courses. Shayla is published on the Amherst Wire and has produced articles on various topics like local news on her WordPress blog. In her free time Shayla enjoys listening to true-crime podcasts and keeping up with current events. After she graduates in May 2019, she hopes to utilize her knowledge and experience to excel in the industry.