WSC College Relations Office Bids Farewell to Communication Interns

One of the many ways Wayne State College works to ensure the success of its graduates is by providing hands-on learning opportunities. Whether through classroom curriculum, field work, research opportunities, state-of-the-art laboratories, or internships, the college is committed to graduating students with the real-world experiences they need to hit the ground running in their chosen fields. Wayne State's Office of College Relations bids a fond farewell to three such students as they graduate with their degrees on Saturday, May 6.

Hannah Coy of Shickley, Neb., Liz Wallace of O’Neill, Neb., and Taryn Winter of Elk River, Minn., worked as college relations and marketing interns throughout the 2016-17 academic year. Each used the knowledge they had gained in communications and marketing classes to serve as vital team members for Wayne State’s communications and marketing efforts. Their work included writing stories, photography, market research, and building and maintaining the college’s Snapchat account.

Coy is graduating with a degree in speech communication with a concentration in public relations and organizational leadership and a minor in international studies. She will start work later this summer with Insight Global as a sales account manager in Minneapolis.

“My future plans are to backpack Europe following graduation until August,” Coy said. “I am very excited for all of my future adventures. Thank you to WSC for preparing me for my next steps in life!

“WSC has become my home away from home,” Coy added. “It gave me a place to grow personally and academically. College is the time when you get to decide who you want to be and Wayne State helped me do that. My experiences at Wayne State College are invaluable. The small class sizes and open community made campus feel like home. The communication department has played a vital role in my learning and success thus far. It is filled with amazing professors and students that not only provoke learning at a high caliber, but also became my “comm. family”. I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my college career any other place!”

Wallace also majored in speech communication with a concentration in public relations and organizational leadership. She has already landed a position as communication manager/director with the City of Norfolk.

“I chose to come to Wayne State College because it was close to home, a small school, and in a small town,” Wallace said. “Because I grew up in a smaller town, the size was very appealing to me.

“It was an incredible experience to be a communication student,” Wallace continued. “All of the instructors know me well and I’m able to talk to them easily and freely about ideas or concerns that I have about the classes. The best way to describe the Communication department is to compare it to a family. I’m very close to all of my peers and I look forward to going to class every day because I enjoy seeing them. The instructors have so much experience and expertise in the field that they make learning fun and enjoyable.

“I hope that I have left a humble and respectable mark as I prepare to leave Wayne State College,” Wallace said. “I have developed some incredible relationships on campus through this internship and through daily activities as well. If I made at least one person’s day through my activity on Snapchat, or by

Winter majored in speech communication with a concentration in public relations and organizational leadership. She will begin working with Insight Global in Minneapolis this summer.

“I was at a large college in Minnesota and it wasn’t for me, so when I had the opportunity to go to Wayne, through a friend, I took it,” Winter said. “I wasn’t sure if I would like it. I didn’t know anyone, so it was a leap of faith, but the best leap I’ve ever taken. I became heavily involved in the communication department and eventually became president of Wildcat PR, our Public Relations Student Society of America chapter, and secretary of Lambda Pi Eta, a communication honor society. Both of those positions have furthered my leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.”

“Wayne is like home to me and the opportunities I received such as presenting my research at conferences, holding leadership positions, and maintain quality relationships with professors, are why I will be forever grateful for this school,” Winter added. “I give a lot of credit to Wayne State for shaping me into the person I am today.”

“Each of our interns provided outstanding insight into our students’ educational experience,” said Jay Collier, director of college relations. “They each came on board with a strong working knowledge of public relations so we were able to turn them loose on some really interesting projects. We wish them the best in their careers and look forward to seeing all of the great things they will accomplish.”