In the agency world, we look at college graduation as a milestone for young talent coming through our doors. But for several of us, the occasion marks an official culmination to a semester full of educating PR students on college campuses nationwide.
PAN has deep roots in academia, participating in PR programs at colleges local to our three office locations. Our employees have guest lectured, judged campaigns and hosted office visits with schools like Boston University, Northeastern, San Jose State and the University of Central Florida, all during the past few months. But the agency’s most tenured and most comprehensive partnership celebrated a special milestone this year, as President Phil Nardone celebrated 15 years as a professor in the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.
I’ve been helping Phil with the course for almost half of those years – seven, to be exact. I see firsthand the enthusiasm, energy and real-world perspective he brings to his capstone PR course for graduating senior and graduate students. Professor Nardone is a mentor, advisor and gateway to the professional world. It’s a side of him that few people see – and as PAN has grown over the years, it’s a commitment that can’t be managed without caring about the students and valuing their future success.
PAN’s commitment to the Syracuse University PR community extends beyond the classroom. Last year, PAN and SU expanded their partnership to launch the PAN Portal, a portfolio program designed to showcase student work compiled throughout their collegiate experience. Each semester, a team of PAN staff travels to campus and meets with 100+ students in-person to offer a professional perspective on their portfolio of work. Last semester was our third installment of the PAN Portal, and we’ve advised more than 250 students on graduating with a degree truly job-ready. Check out some of this year’s best portfolios for examples of the finished products: Lindsay Igoe and Tyra Booker.
So Phil, here’s to 15 years of PR teaching, papers, management advice, trips to the Syracuse tundra, and even a few fun and laughs along the way. There’s a generation of SU students that are forever in your debt!