PRSSA members toured various Seattle public relations firms as part of “Seattle Day,” a trip designed as an introduction to the field and to internship possibilities. Pictured from left to right: Erica Munson, Kelli Matthews, Jennifer Fields, Yu Mei Hsu, Lauren Snyder, Jenny Obermiller, Kirsten Wrolstad and Stephanie Chaney. Participants not pictured included the following: Arianne Bautista, Jennifer Manske, Danielle Carter, Melanie Marconi, Kelly Wolski, Jackie Owens and Professor Jim Van Leuven.

PRSSA liaison Erica Munson '01 created the Seattle Day program. "The idea had always been talked about," she said. "I wanted to be sure these trips were actually planned."

Munson wanted to introduce students to a variety of public relations work by visiting diverse firms. "I started by asking for a visit to Starbucks," Munson recalled. "After talking to a PR manager at Starbucks Corporate, many other connections blossomed through that."

At Starbucks, tour leader and PR manager, Sonya Gould, emphasized the importance of internships. She had interned for the company and was hired on after graduation, as were several of the other public relations staff.

Next at Gogerty Stark Marriott, a public affairs, consulting and crisis communications company, partner Dan Marriott told the students, "I hired a recent graduate because she had three internships. And it wasn’t that she just had three. It was the variety of the internships—one in a media outlet, one in agency public relations and one in non-profit."

The day-trippers also visited APCO Worldwide, a conglomerate that specializes in technology communications, public affairs and corporate positioning.

Suzanne Hartman, senior V.P. for strategic communications, and Matt Gillingham, project manager in technology, discussed the ins and outs of their divisions, and current intern, Nicole Shaffer, discussed her duties. "It’s a great internship," said Shaffer. "You actually get to participate in real public relations campaigns."

Down the road at The Rockey Company, a traditional PR agency, the students' tour and presentation was given by Katy Straus-borger, a former intern. She discussed her experience working as an intern for the company and the ease of being hired afterward.

Seattle’s new music museum, the Experience Music Project, offered a peek into the world of non-profit public relations. Paige Prill, EMP’s communications and external affairs manager, told students about holding down a "day job" while she also did a free internship for her dream employer, CNN. CNN finally hired her in its public relations division.

All of the advice about the role of internships in building a career motivated some students to start pursuing leads.

"I already had an informational interview with APCO," Munson said. "I hope I land a summer internship with them."

Seattle Day will be offered once each term to members of PRSSA.