September brings a mix of emotions. Some of us are soaking up the last few days of summer, and many eagerly anticipate everything that comes with fall. At PAN, a big focus of September is kicking off for our four-part guest lecture series at the Historically Black Colleges and Universities we partner with. This year, I’m excited to share that we’ve added a new school to our roster, Morehouse College, the nation’s only historically black liberal arts college for men.
For those unfamiliar, our series aims to inform and answer students’ questions about the public relations agency experience and the industries of business-to-business technology and healthcare.
You might be asking yourself, what does Phil Nardone bring to a classroom of budding BIPOC professionals? I, too, wondered this, but after four years of this work, I’ve learned my take, and the insights of the connections I can make with these talented students are invaluable.
As a man working in a field that white women dominate, I understand the experience that women and BIPOC employees must navigate working in fields dominated by white men. Couple this with the fact that I didn’t come out as gay until I was in my 40s and, until then, wasn’t being my authentic self every day; I understand what it’s like to conform to what is perceived as the standard.
I know it will take time, but this lecture series is a small step toward helping make our industry as diverse as the world we live in. I’ve seen firsthand at PAN the value of bringing diverse voices to our organization. By hiring employees with diverse backgrounds, we can approach things differently and bring new ideas and perspectives.
I make it a point to meet with every new hire to get to know them. One of my recent new hire introductions included ten new hires, three of whom were people of color, and one identified as they/them. That meeting reminded me of the importance of seeing people like you in your field to feel more comfortable.
However, we must increase awareness of the communications field for the BIPOC community, and that’s where our work with the HBCUs comes in. We all are talking about how important DEI is to the field, but we need to show up in the environments where these potential employees and soon-to-be communications professionals are – and have conversations at the student level.
In our series, we explore public relations and the various career paths that stem from it. We address the importance of DEI in the industry and debunk PR stereotypes. I’m incredibly proud of the discussions we have planned around mental health in the workplace and the importance of work-life balance. We advise them on identifying companies with strong DEI programs so they can enter the workforce more confidently. Lastly, we dive deep into building a successful PR career with practical tips.
While I speak on some of these topics, the students find real value in the other experts I can bring in for them to meet. I work every year to make sure this program continues to grow and improve and I’m excited by the talent these students will be exposed to.
Travin Duncan was a participant of the program while at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. He’s now an Account Coordinator at PAN and sharing his experience with this year’s program participants. He shared the following with me on the value of the content:
“As a college student you think about the real world with a sense of uncertainty. You’re constantly wondering what skills will transfer, who will give you an opportunity in the workforce, what steps to take so that you can achieve your goals. You’re looking for people already in a position of success to walk you through the system and how to make a mark in your career and that’s exactly what Phil and the PAN cohort brought to my attention.
The PAN guest lecture series showed up to my school in the Fall of 2022 and solidified my choice to go into public relations with a tech focus. The way Phil spoke with such charisma and intentionality really stuck with me and, in turn, I attended every session of the entire series. It helped so much to see African American men and women in my field in C-suite, mid-level, and entry positions. It made me feel that not only could I get a job in the field, I can be good at what I do and actually be recognized for it.
Coming from a smaller city like Durham, NC you don’t really get the opportunity to meet CEOs at all, let alone your future boss, so the HBCU guest lecture series is important to me because it gave a chance to question the industry’s brightest, learn real-world practices and see people that looked like me excel in my field. I’m eternally grateful and excited to be a part of the same program that opened my eyes and gave me an added faith in myself.”
I feel renewed excitement and purpose as we prepare for the upcoming lecture series. This initiative is a small but crucial part of ensuring that the BIPOC community is reflected in the future generations of PR professionals. By engaging with students at our partner HBCUs and sharing knowledge from diverse voices, we’re broadening their understanding of the industry and helping foster a more inclusive and equitable environment. I’m eager to witness these discussions’ positive impact and look forward to the fresh perspectives and talents these students will bring to our industry.
