INK PUBLIC RELATIONS

In April of 2006, I started looking for a rescue puppy.  My husband and I wanted a dog and we knew we would get a rescue dog – there are just too many puppies out there that need love to go buy a dog.  I looked through several rescue organizations looking for that puppy that spoke to me – this is tough, because they ALL speak to me.  I want them all.  But one fateful day I was looking on Blue Dog Rescue’s website and I stumbled across this face:

Shamrock, Blue Dog Rescue

I mean, are you kidding?  Clearly this little magical one-eyed-wonder needed to be spoiled for the rest of his life. Seriously, just looking at this picture brings tears to my eyes.  I called BDR, filled out the application, passed an interview, scheduled an in-home visit…and Jenny with BDR brought the love of my life to my house.  Shamrock, who had been thrown out on the street with a severe eye infection, became Jack, my one-eyed pirate puppy.

When the opportunity presented itself to run the marathon for BDR in 2008 and raise money, I was all over it. Even though I can’t run this year, I will still raise money for this fabulous cause. And when I come knocking on your door asking for money, I might just bring Jack along – because you might be able to say no to me, but trust me, no one can resist Jack’s adorable wink and infectious attitude. And if you ever wonder if your money is going to actually save these dogs – just look at my little man. He is living proof that BDR is changing the lives of these dogs and the lives of those people lucky enough to adopt their new best friend.

I’m proud to say that I‘ve been a loyal member of the “real world” for almost two years now. It seems like almost yesterday I was regularly eating ramen noodles for dinner while cramming for mid-terms and preparing for that ever-so-crucial PR presentation.

During my freshman year of college, I often wondered where I would be in the next 5 years. Well, here I am—working at a great job, with great people, for fun clients in a great city. How I got here can only be attributed to hard work, dedication, and a little stroke of luck. Nevertheless, I’m grateful.

It doesn’t seem to at the time, but college really does prepare you for the real world, as long as you’re open to it. Of course, working definitely comes with much more responsibility, but it was those years of hard work in school and internships that brought me to where I am today and made working seem to come naturally. I’ve listed out a few lessons I’ve learned in the classroom that have popped up in some of my real-world experiences. Enjoy.

Group Projects: Earlier this week, Julie and I completed our first successful presentation together, learning from each other while also sharing the stresses of meeting our deadline. It’s nice to work with someone who is just as motivated as I am to get the job done, where neither of us had to worry about pulling more weight than the other. This situation was all too familiar and reminded me of my PR Campaigns class, where my team and I created a PR campaign that was entered into the Bateman Case Study Competition. I forgot how many long hours, hard work, and great collaboration it takes to deliver a successful end result. Our team received Honorable Mention—but who’s bragging? J

Exams: The glory of the real world is that there are no more tests—in the literal form at least. However, we’re tested every day, in a different way. I studied hard for my exams, and made sure I always came out with the coveted A, but honestly didn’t see their importance until I ventured out on my own. Those exams in college were meant to enhance my critical thinking skills so that one day I could apply those skills without the help of a #2 pencil and a scantron. I’ve been tested every day since graduation— what’s the best answer to this question, how can I solve this problem with the resources that I have, who is the best contact to reach out to—all questions I’ve answered before and am still answering now. Sorry kids, the real world comes with tests—they just don’t contribute to your overall GPA anymore.

Homework: Ah, the infamous stresses of homework. I remember loathing professors who assigned homework over long weekends or term-papers over holidays. Then I remembered that I had weeks to write that 15-page research paper, but choosing to write it 3 days before seemed like the best idea at the time. I’ve learned from my many all-nighters and countless hours of homework that budgeting your time well is incredibly important and something that I’ve successfully applied to my real-world experiences. In truth, the working world doesn’t assign you homework—you assign it yourself. When days are busy, I still occasionally come home with work and that’s okay because I know that I’ve used my time wisely. In fact, I love having the option of knowing that if I need some extra time to meet a deadline outside of my 9-5, I have it. Let’s face it—college students are use to much worse: all nighters filled with bad food and strong coffee for an 8 a.m. test—not something I’d like to relive again.

Surprisingly, my transition from college to the real world happened smoothly, with few bumps and some great learning experiences. I wondered what I did to deserve such a great segue to the rest of my life and I realized that it wasn’t just that I deserved it—I was also well prepared.

This past weekend, I participated in my very first race. Needless to say, at my 12-minute/mile pace, there was absolutely no “racing” involved for me, but hey – we can call it one anyways.

The annual race, hosted by Gilbert’s Gazelles, is called “Run for the Water” and its purpose is to raise money for clean water for the people of Burundi, Africa. Because it is for a wonderful cause and I wanted to feel what it was like to run in a real, organized, professional race, I signed up. Almost 2000 people participated that foggy, humid morning, but on that track it felt like it was just me.

Since I started this whole running thing a couple of months ago, I have been training for this 5K. Because it is a relatively short distance, the training wasn’t very rigorous and I felt pretty prepared for that Sunday. Although I had done most of my running on a treadmill, I had comfortably run 3.1 miles before so I was confident that this race would be no different.

How wrong I was!

Running outside makes a huge difference! Not only do you have to battle the elements, but the surface terrain and “hills” too! I’ll tell you…I have driven on that stretch of Mo-Pac and Cesar Chavez a million times, but definitely saw it in a new light that morning. It was rocky, hilly and loo-ooo-oong!

However, even though it felt like it was just me out there, I was surrounded by tons of support. There were, of course, those that have been running their whole lives, but around my pace group it seemed like we were all beginners and we all motivated each other to keep on (as Beth says) “putting one foot in front of the other.” Though the air was humid and the water breaks were few, we all kept going until the finish line. It was that sense of individual accomplishment and team camaraderie that pushed us to the end, and it truly felt great.

I think the race really put the half-marathon in perspective. Here I am – sweating, panting, exhausted at only 3.1 miles and I am going to have to run THIRTEEN in February?!

Oy.

But at the end of the day, I really did feel great at the finish line and I know that if half-marathons were easy then everyone would do them. It is going to take a lot of work to get to the finish line in February, but I know that my sense of accomplishment will be that much greater, too. A couple months ago, I could barely run even one mile, so I know that I have already come pretty far.

I just have to remember to keep going, keep trying and just take it one step at a time.