By Lydia Bailey
Making the jump to transition from student life and four years on campus to the professional world and a nine to five role can seem intimidating at times, but with the right support systems and mentors can make this feat more manageable. The PR at Belmont blog interviewed alumna and former Belmont PRSSA chapter president Lydia Bailey on post-grad life and how Belmont set her up for success!
How did the foundation you gained from your time at Belmont help with your transition to post-grad life?
Belmont, especially the PR department, prioritized professional connections throughout my college career. Belmont PRSSA and the PR department provided opportunities to have one-on-one mentor experiences with leading industry professionals, attend international student and professional conferences and Nashville PRSA networking events, practice networking and job-seeking skills with peers and train with career professionals on resume writing, job interviewing and more.
What impact did joining the Knoxville PRSA chapter have on you, and what have you learned from being an involved member?
I joined Volunteer PRSA as the chapter was planning its annual V Awards, which recognizes excellence in the field of public relations among local PR practitioners. After sharing my experience finding guest speakers as vice president of professional development for the Belmont PRSSA chapter and previous networking and internship experience with the Knoxville Chamber, Volunteer PRSA assigned me to find and coordinate all V Awards speakers. This was a feat within only a few months of membership, but the leadership from the get-go made my relationships with chapter members that much stronger! I had a foot in the door and gained great professional connections along the way. I was recently elected to serve on the 2021 Volunteer PRSA board of directors as an director-at-large.
What from your time as Belmont PRSSA chapter president do you think helped you most?
The opportunities to attend PRSA/PRSSA International conferences and the Leadership Rally expanded my understanding and helped develop my PR professional dreams. The networking, the ongoing friendships, the inspiring guest speakers from across the globe, the opportunity to travel professionally to some of the greatest cities in the United States as a college student… I could go on and on about the benefits of attending what may only seem like a four-day student conference. I encourage every PRSSA member interested in attending to go, especially as a chapter leader. Many peers I met at PRSA/PRSSA ICON understood the challenges I faced in the chapter president, vice president of professional development and vice president of communications (please correct if not the official title for who handles all chapter social media – used to be “director) roles. Together, fellow PRSSA chapter leaders encouraged and helped each other come up with practical solutions to our chapter problems and held each other accountable at the conference and once we all returned home to our chapters.
Who on Belmont’s campus inspired you personally and professionally, and how did those relationships positively influence you?
It all started in the GPS office. I was lost in my search for a major, but the GPS office helped direct me to the public relations department, based on my interests and StrengthsFinder test results. One 20-minute conversation with Dr. Bonnie Riechert, and I was hooked on PR at Belmont.
No one encouraged and supported my college and professional career as much as Dr. Bonnie. I knew no matter what, she was on my team and determined to help me succeed. So many others come to mind, but to name a few folks at Belmont that changed my life in and beyond the classroom: My Wesley Fellowship pastor David Hollis; my mentor, professor, colleague and friend Hope Buckner; Communications and PR professors Dr. Jimmy Davis, Dr. Christie Kleinmann and Dr. Kevin Trowbridge; Sarah Cates and Dorren Robinson.
Can you describe your experience as a student writer for Belmont’s Office of Communications? What was it like playing such a big role in campus communications?
Each day I stepped into Freeman Hall, I was met with new challenges and opportunities to grow my writing, adaptability and passion for Belmont. The Office of Communications team has Belmont students top-of-mind in all they do and write. I loved reaching out to alumni to hear their inspiring stories of “here to anywhere.” Knowing my writing was touching students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, potential students, the Nashville community and beyond helped me develop a greater responsibility in my writing and deeper appreciation for my second home. Not to mention, it was a lot of fun! I miss Greg, April, Sam, Misty and Hope all the time.
Lydia Bailey is a public relations specialist for Moxley Carmichael, Knoxville local, aspiring traveler and canine enthusiast. She received a Bachelor of Science in public relations from Belmont University in 2019 and credits much of her post-graduate success on Belmont’s PRSSA chapter leadership and professional development opportunities. Bailey now serves as director-at-large for the Volunteer PRSA chapter and is a member of Young Professionals of Knoxville and Knoxville Volunteer Rotary. Bailey enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and spending time with her family’s dog, Winnie Cade, an English golden retriever named after two of her favorite things: Disney and Cades Cove.