中国学生
EstudiantesRecently, I corresponded with 2008 graduate Jared Bundy about his life and career. Jared was one of my top students both inside and outside of the classroom. His body of work in media at Saint Vincent is unparalleled. In this blog, we discuss what he is doing now, how he got there, and how Saint Vincent guided him along the way.
Jared and me circa 2007.
So, what are you up to these days?
Jared and me circa 2007.
So, what are you up to these days?
Right now I am the public relations/marketing/social media coordinator (lots of slashes I know) for Westmoreland County Community College. I'm the first person at the college with marketing in my title, so it really gives me an opportunity to explore new ground and have a lot of freedom. I work with two designers, a secretary, a PR coordinator and the director of our department, so we work together on developing short-term and long-term marketing plans for the college.
I also just started teaching, which I absolutely love. My current classes include an intro level PR class, a web design course where the class designed and implemented an entire site for a local business and now some social media in business courses!
I also just started teaching, which I absolutely love. My current classes include an intro level PR class, a web design course where the class designed and implemented an entire site for a local business and now some social media in business courses!
How did you get there from here?
I sort of had a journeyman path to WCCC but I wouldn’t change a second of it. After graduation (in 2008), I attended Cal. U. to get my MBA for 2 years. It was an exciting 2 years as I met my fiance there, became Editor-in-Chief of the student newspaper, DJ'd my own show on WCAL and appeared as a reporter on CUTV's Newscenter. While Editor in Chief, I fell in love with social media, marketing and branding and basically used my undergrad and MBA skills to rebuild the floundering paper from the bottom up. By the time I graduated we had a full social media presence, new website, more writers than ever before and a system to train new students to take over the responsibilities of those graduating.
I sort of had a journeyman path to WCCC but I wouldn’t change a second of it. After graduation (in 2008), I attended Cal. U. to get my MBA for 2 years. It was an exciting 2 years as I met my fiance there, became Editor-in-Chief of the student newspaper, DJ'd my own show on WCAL and appeared as a reporter on CUTV's Newscenter. While Editor in Chief, I fell in love with social media, marketing and branding and basically used my undergrad and MBA skills to rebuild the floundering paper from the bottom up. By the time I graduated we had a full social media presence, new website, more writers than ever before and a system to train new students to take over the responsibilities of those graduating.
From there, I found a position with a small start-up in downtown Pittsburgh called Optimal where I served as the Creative Director (Don Draper-style). We basically functioned as a traditional marketing firm but only in the online realm. So I was writing blogs, making viral videos and managing social media accounts for our varied clientele, anything from fashion magazines and luxury car dealerships to pizza shops.
I, then, found an opportunity in Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA as their website coordinator, which was a pretty big move from the comforts of Pittsburgh to a place I really didn't know. There I oversaw the creation of their new college website and managed their social media.
After that, I found an opportunity to get back near Pittsburgh and stay in higher-ed so I took the position at WCCC. So basically on my trip I gained all of the skills I am now using daily at WCCC.
How did your time at Saint Vincent prepare you for what you do now?
My education and work study career at Saint Vincent really laid the groundwork to make my success in the marketing/communication fields possible. I actually didn't know how much I liked Marketing until I took classes from Dr. Cline and Dr. Edmiston in my junior year, and I immediately switched my minor over to it. I took as much as I could in the field but still wanted to learn much more about it and work in it, so it fueled my desire to obtain my MBA and continue in the business field.
But none of my success would be possible without the hands-on, practical experience I gained while working for my Communication major. Dr. Cook taught me how PR was so much more than writing press releases and the importance of having both strong PR and marketing skills. She also helped me think critically, and I still remember our capstone course in which I had to write a feminist critique of Hamlet, well out of my comfort zone at the time, but immensely helpful now.
My favorite project while I was there was working with you and Dr. Wissolik to chronicle the experiences of WW2 veterans, including holocaust survivor Robert Mendler to create a DVD called Keeping Their Stories. If I shot video the rest of my life, I would probably never produce anything I am more proud of than that disc, and the great instruction and mentoring at Saint Vincent made it possible.
Bloggers note: Jared won a Telly Award for his work on Keeping Their Stories.
What advice would you give students who are choosing a college?
If I were doing it all over again, I know I would still choose Saint Vincent for my higher education. I thrived on the small class sizes that gave me individual attention when I needed it. When we learned about marketing research, Dr. Cline sent us out into the student body to conduct surveys, collect data and analyze it ourselves. Individual and group presentations helped me be confident as a public speaker and working with others.
For my communication work, I got to create a TV show with classmates, create a documentary and shoot all of the videos for my work study. I ended up with a professional portfolio of my real work in the field at age 22, which gave me a huge advantage with prospective employers.
My advice would be to really study the school you are interested in and make sure it is the right fit for you. When I saw Saint Vincent's media department, had a great tour of the campus and met with the faculty, I just felt Saint Vincent was authentic and where I needed to go to give me the best shot at succeeding. Plus the small campus let me get involved in so many more activities, and I didn't have to be a theatre major to do theatre. Plus, the sheer amount of clubs and intramurals is amazing and kept me busy every day.
Also, don't worry if you don't know what you want to do with your life when you start. I changed minors 3 times (Poli Sci, Education, Marketing) until I knew, and I still graduated on time with the major and minor I wanted. You don't have to have it all figured out, but you do need a campus, faculty and classes you are comfortable with and that benefit you.
Finally, (and this is because I see it all the time in higher ed) never go to a college because your friends or significant other are going there. I knew very few people in my class freshman year, and ended up making some of the best friends in my life out of people I met at SVC. I am now honored that they will be groomsmen in my wedding and I've always been glad I didn't follow my best friends from high school to somewhere where I wouldn't have been as happy. I truly believe the friends and professional connections I've made at Saint Vincent will last a lifetime, and I am proud to say I am a bearcat for life.
