Alumni Spotlight: Emma Crosby
By: Molly Gilarde
Emma Crosby served as the President of PRSSA two years ago! We miss her and her great impact on UGA PRSSA.
Emma Crosby is a Grady alum who served as the President of PRSSA at UGA for the 2019-2020 school year. Previously, she also served as the Digital Media Director and a member of the Social Media committee! Emma is currently working as a Marketing Content Coordinator at Rhythm Software. I asked her a few questions about her time in Grady and how she feels Grady prepared her to succeed in the world of Public Relations.
Q: Could you describe your job/position and what it entails?
A: I currently work on the Marketing team at Rhythm Software. I definitely have more of a general position, which I love because I get to dip my toes into every part of marketing! Currently, I’m working on a lot of partner marketing, sales enablement and creating downloadable resources for our website. I also get to spend a lot of time with the product team announcing new features and functionality that we add to the product.
Q: How did your Grady education help you succeed in PR?
A: One of the things that Grady really does well is always encouraging students to be data driven. In every class at Grady, the professors emphasized the importance of using data during every step of a campaign — to inform decisions, report to higher ups, and take adequate credit for the impact your work had. I can’t stress enough how important that mindset is when you enter the workforce (or for resume building and advocating for yourself during interviews).
Q: What were you involved in at Grady and how did it help you?
A: My main involvement in Grady was PRSSA. No matter what organization or club you spend your time with, relationship building is the most important. Life exists outside of extracurriculars, work and school, but relationships and the way you interact with people happens everywhere. Use your time during school to develop authentic relationship building skills. You can have the most impressive resume in the world, but genuine connections will always take you further.
Q: What was your favorite thing about Grady and PRSSA?
A: My favorite thing about PRSSA will always be the people! I loved surrounding myself with industry professionals and students who had the same interests as me. UGA can feel huge so finding that niche of people who you can learn from was big.
Q: Do you have any advice for Grady students who are hoping to work in PR?
A: My main advice would be to try it all! College is a great time to take courses in subjects you’re not sure if you’re interested in. Whether it’s sports media, graphic design, crisis communications or even public affairs, a one semester course can really help you hone in on what you’re passionate about. At the end of the day, know that sometimes things just fall in your lap. Even though I was involved with PRSSA in college, I didn’t even know I could make a career out of working with associations. Now, I get to work for a company that creates management software for associations. Really just be comfortable that you don’t always know what exact field you’re gonna be in until you start interviewing and fall in love with a role.
Emma had some great advice for Grady students, and I was so glad I was able to talk with her! She is a great example of how well Grady prepares students for working in the Public Relations field. It is always a good idea to connect with alumni, since they have a lot of professional experience and want to help current Grady students succeed. This is another reason why joining PRSSA is a necessary step in your college career, because PRSSA provides ample opportunities to connect with other Grady students and Grady alum as well as industry professionals. Join PRSSA before March 1 in order to receive the benefits and attend the rest of our meetings! This deadline is quickly approaching: join here!
