This spring’s Communication Day will bring alumni and current students together for a panel on the impact of communication in post-graduation careers and employment opportunities. 

The event, sponsored by Wildcat PR, will take place on Thursday, March 16 in the Elkhorn Room of the Kanter Student Center. Communication Day will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and feature Q&A panels from WSC alumni as well as current faculty and staff. 

Beginning at 11 a.m., there will be a presentation from Kateri Hartman, a media relations associate, advisor to Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), and grad student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, on her career in PR and the benefits of joining PRSSA. This will be followed by an hour-long panel held by alumni on possible employment opportunities available with a degree in communication. For the remaining time, there will be a faculty and staff panel offering more specific advice on communication careers in higher education. 

While at first glance, the itinerary may not seem student-central, Allyn Lueders, Wildcat PR advisor and associate professor of communication arts, assures that students are at the heart of every activity.  

“Communication Day is our chance to bring speakers to campus to help show how powerful and meaningful communication can be in students’ lives,” Lueders said. “The event helps to showcase all the ways communication can shape a future career, help land the job of your dreams, or help you ace the interview!”  

While the event focuses on the strategies and advantages of an occupation in communication, the Communication Day panels are open to all, regardless of major.  

“Absolutely anyone can attend,” Leuders said. “Everyone will learn about the additional opportunities available with communication, and hearing from speakers and alumni with ‘real world’ experience is always interesting!” 

Lueders also stressed the importance of effective communication strategies in fields outside the major.  

“I hope that more students will recognize all the doors opened through studying communication, and how beneficial it can be for their future,” Leuders said. 

For the past ten years, Communication Day has been hosted by Wildcat PR, Wayne’s local branch of PRSSA that brings together students of PR, communications, marketing, advertising, and graphic design studies to provide real-world experiences for the next generation of PR professionals.  

“They use their communication expertise to help groups on campus promote their own events,” Leuders said.  

In addition to Communication Day, which the students of Wildcat PR have been planning since January, the organization is also planning a service project to help raise awareness and funds for a Norfolk animal shelter.