by Kaitlin Drzewiecki
A recent promotion for Aliyah Sheffield at Apple Inc. came as no surprise to those who knew her
as an undergraduate student at Belmont.
“If you have a dream, do not let someone tell you it isn’t possible.” As an eager public relations
graduate from Belmont, Aliyah Sheffield wasn’t afraid to do what it takes to land her dream job.
Before graduating from the public relations program in 2017, Sheffield was involved in
numerous campus organizations with roles as the president of Belmont PRSSA, member of Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and as a Bruin Recruiter.
With these opportunities, Sheffield took advantage of connecting with people. She also met
numerous future students as they prepared to join the Bruin family. While studying public relations, Sheffield said her favorite class was PR Research. Through this course, Sheffield developed a deeper level of thinking and learned about the importance of asking questions to find the right answer. Sheffield states that the public relations program allowed her to continue being curious. One of her favorite memories from Belmont was her
Maymester in Washington, D.C. She toured the capitol, the monuments and museums. This trip
emphasized her desire to want to work as a White House press secretary. It was also her first
time traveling on a plane!
After Sheffield graduated from Belmont, she pursued different job opportunities and
concurrently completed her master’s in organizational leadership from Trevecca Nazarene
University in 2020. Sheffield understands that each employee needs to feel heard. After all, this
is the first time in history that a workforce is combined of four different generations. Sheffield
also understands that it’s important for employees to support the goals and message of their
organization. Overall, she learned different leadership styles and how to communicate with team
members in the workplace.
Currently, Sheffield is working for Apple Inc. as a publisher relations specialist. She started as a
retail technician and before her recent promotion worked on the business team supporting local
businesses in developing their technology strategies. Sheffield stated that she “had the
opportunity to meet people from all walks of life (languages, cultures, etc.).” Through her current
role, she is in charge of helping publishers navigate how to publish on the Apple News App and
monetize their content. Sheffield will move to New York City for work.
While Sheffield grew as a leader and individual through her various work experiences, she never
lost sight of her path. Her leadership philosophy is, “Our team is a reflection of us.” Our values
are equal in importance to our team members. Teams are what make businesses successful. “A leader guides our teams through the good, bad and ugly parts of the job,” she said. “Followers
are just as valuable and always bring something to the table.”
The bottom line is that Sheffield wouldn’t be where she is today without hard work. Her advice
to current students and new graduates is to remember that everything is temporary. This hard
time in your life will soon pass. “Every moment is just a moment,” she said. “Do your best to
live in it or take the time to plan your way out of it.”
Lastly, never settle for “no.”
“It may take time to get your dream job but don’t let that stop you,” said Sheffield. “Keep
applying for jobs and submitting your work to publications. You will get several people to tell
you ‘no,’ but one day someone will tell you ‘yes.’ Never give up!”
Sheffield received numerous recognitions as an undergraduate at Belmont. She was the
Department of Public Relations Graduate of the Year in 2017. She was a member of the Lambda
Pi Eta national communications studies honor society and the Omicron Delta Kappa national
leadership honor society. She served as treasurer, president and immediate past president of
Belmont PRSSA. She helped developed Belmont PRSSA’s GROW Mentorship Program, which
matches interested student members one-on-one with industry professionals. She received a
National Gold Key Award from PRSSA. She earned the nationally administered Certificate in
Principles in Public Relations. She served as a congress member in the Belmont University
Student Government Association.
Kaitlyn Drzewiecki, public relations major and music business minor, Class of 2020, was a
member of Belmont Public Relations Student Society of America and participated in the
Chapter’s GROW Mentorship Program. She is an associate member of the Public Relations
Society of America.