By: Hannah Keller

I walked into freshman year at the University of Indianapolis excited and hopeful for the future. I had an amazing roommate, new friends and was beginning my lifetime goal of becoming a physical therapist! When I think about this now, I laugh, because little did I know in a year I would be entering a completely new major in Communication. I will spare you all the gruesome details of the physical therapy world and skip ahead to when I entered the public relations world for the first time.

It was the second semester of sophomore year when I first stepped foot in Esch Hall, room 261. At this time I was unaware that I was walking into a room that would forever hold a special place in my heart. I walked into a large room of friendly faces and chatter; I took my seat and waited anxiously for the dreaded night class to begin. However, this night class quickly became something much more to me. I had found my home! 

I find it hard to pinpoint the exact moment I fell in love with public relations, but I can share a few of the moments that made it clear that I was in the right place. While working with my first client, I mainly sat back and listened to others give their ideas during our group meetings, but one night I piped up and shared an idea I had. I introduced the idea of a Facebook livestream for our client. My executive told me to run with it and show her what I could do. I worked on this project for almost three weeks and during this process, I felt so comfortable, yet challenged! I had never felt comfortable and challenged like that in my previous major. 

As the semester continued, I grew in my confidence, expanded my knowledge and bonded with my peers. I felt like I was a part of a family. This family has provided me with love, support, challenges and a forever network. The bonds created in one semester of public relations amazed me. In a whole year as a physical therapy major, I had only made two lasting friends and I was often discouraged by the ‘each man for himself ‘ mentality that was expressed in PT courses. PR provided me with the key characteristics I was missing in my previous major, group involvement and creativity. 

When looking back, I feel as though these were the most defining moments in my major. I cannot imagine being a part of any other major and feeling the same family network as I do with public relations! I can say with absolute certainty, room 261 and the whole communication department has provided me with the best network of future PR professionals. Room 261 is where my future began and where I fell in love with PR. I only hope that as I move forward, I continue to make room 261 proud. 
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By: Marissa Orr

When I stepped into my first night of Top Dog, I was very nervous. I felt like I was an outsider because I had just changed my major. My entire Monday had consisted of meeting nothing but new people. I did not recognize anyone in class. As I sat there and listened to the introduction that the firm director gave, I became very overwhelmed. However, I don’t think that was a negative thing. Being overwhelmed the first night was something that drove me to find my passion. I knew without passion, I would not succeed. That first night changed my perspective on my capabilities. 

As the first semester came to an end and the second one began, it really opened my eyes to how much I had improved. I finally felt as if I was doing something that utilized my skills and helped someone in need. Whether that is a client wanting to start up something completely new based on their own passions, or a client needing help within their organization, I could help. I am very excited for new opportunities that will arise as time goes on.
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This applied course Is the right one for me because it really opened my eyes to new opportunities that I did not know I had. This course has given me new tools to utilize and new experiences that will forever leave an impact on me. I know that I will be able to take all the things I have learned and apply it to a job once I graduate. Not only do I think it has been beneficial to my future job, but I think I will be able to help someone with a great cause. I want to work for someone who needs my passions to further their own organization. These are all things I have realized because of choosing Top Dog as my preferred applied course. ​

By Sophie Watson

​Last semester, I began working as an account associate for Top Dog Communication. I quickly fell in love with public relations as well as working for the firm and with all of the great, dedicated people who are a part of TDC. What I love most about TDC is the dedication to growth that the firm and the people involved in it have.
This semester, the firm has implemented new positions called ‘the experts’ which involve a writing, research, design and two sustainability experts to further assist students, the firm and our clients with the needs of each campaign. The experts applied and were chosen based on their expertise in that position. After working as an editor on the Reflector newspaper for three years, I found myself to be a good candidate for the writing expert, applied and received the position. As the writing expert, I write and edit materials for the firm and clients, as well as mentoring and assisting students on their writing centered tactics. The research and design experts do similar work for the firm, clients and students in each of their skills. The sustainability experts do a slightly different job, as they work specifically with past clients by remaining in communication with them and fulfilling any outstanding needs that they have after their campaign with TDC has ended.
These few months of having the experts have significantly assisted the firm and allowed us to highlight the best people for each type of job to help us with the internal and external needs of the firm. We have made progress in updating the firm website and other aspects of TDC that have made us the award winning firm that we are. Also, the materials that we have been able to send to clients have been improved because we have pointed out the best people for each task and assigned them to it, or given students an outlet to get help. The mentor aspect of the experts, I think, is the best part of the expert program. Students who may not have the best skills in one area are able to get help and have a one-on-one learning session, which is something we’ve never had before. By students getting this help, we are able to improve their abilities in that area and produce higher quality material in the future.
Something that I love about having an expert position is that I’m able to refine my writing skills and have great material for my portfolio in the sector that I want to go into in the future. I’m excited to continue the experts program and see the progress in the firm and watch the students grow.

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By Emily Mills
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​When I exited the elevator, I was greeted by a large set of glass doors. Intimidating. Beyond those doors, the lobby was dark, except for the glowing tank filled with colorful fish. Nikki Reed came prancing down the hallway, happy as a clam. She swung open the door and sang out a cheerful “Hello!”
 
I’d been communicating with Nikki over the past couple weeks to shadow her during the Smiley Morning Show. The day had finally come, and my nerves flew out the door when I was introduced to Smiley, Toni, and Will. A cup of champagne was handed to me, and a pair of headphones were ready for me to use.
 
I sat back and listened to the flow of the morning show as Toni gave her traffic report, and Smiley and Will made inappropriate comments. Nikki kept me informed on what she was doing to keep the show moving forward. Jokes were made and I was put on the air, able to have my voice heard by tens of thousands of people. I made lifelong connections after a simple two hour visit.
 
My biggest takeaway from sitting in on the Smiley Morning Show was that taking my job at the radio station too seriously is what’s hindering me from progressing in my career. My time at the University of Indianapolis is limited, so I am appreciative of these opportunities to learn life lessons, and improve my craft.