As I prepare to enter my senior year at Southern Methodist University, it’s great to look back at how my interests have changed, how I’ve grown, and the experiences I’ve had over the last three years. I grew up in Fresno and never ever wanted to leave California, but as soon as I stepped foot on the SMU campus, I absolutely loved it. I’ve always been interested in business, so I entered my Freshman year as an accounting major - and it only took two courses to realize that it wasn’t my thing. LOL, who knew!

It was also in this time that I joined my sorority, Chi Omega, and found amazing friends and role models who guided me as I searched for what I was passionate about. Dallas quickly became my favorite city, and I fell in love with the wide selection of amazing museums, beautiful shopping centers, parks, and restaurants (if you haven’t tried Ding’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich from Honor Bar, you’re missing out!).

So, there I was having the time of my life, and still couldn’t decide on my career path. After taking courses in Consumer Behavior, Creative Advertising, Digital Advertising, and Product and Brand Management, I knew Marketing was for me. I was *actually* enjoying my classes (what a concept?), looking forward to the lectures, and I loved learning about the relationships between brands and people.

This switch opened up so many opportunities for me, including a role as Chi Omega’s Marketing Co-Coordinator where I managed the chapter’s online presence. This past year, I was a brand representative for Sephora Collection,and learned so much about influencer marketing, consumer acquisition, digital strategy, branding, sales, and target audiences. I added minors in Advertising and Art History, and earned a portion of my Art History minor studying abroad in Italy for 6 weeks in the summer of 2019. È stata la migliore estate della mia vita.

Just when I felt like I knew what I wanted to pursue, I was in the middle of hunting for a summer internship when SMU sent all students home to shelter-in-place and take online courses for the remainder of the semester. It truly rocked my world, and within days, I was on a flight back to Fresno, California, not knowing when I’d see my closest friends next.

My mom always told me to make lemonade out of lemons - and her wise advice also led me to meet with Rae. When Rae first described RPM PR and the work they do, I was blown away, because it sounded like the coolest company ever (#facts). When Rae offered me an internship, I was thrilled by the opportunity to expand my skillset and gain experience in an industry I was eager to learn more about.

I am so excited to spend the summer learning from the wonderful ladies at RPM PR, and I know I will carry these experiences and new skills with me forever!

Pony up,

Caroline Swanson

From the Desk of: Caroline Swanson, RPM PR's Summer 2020 Intern