Student Profile:  Kelly Johnson

Name: Kelly Johnson

Major: Communication Studies/Public Relations

Minor: Advertising

Year: Junior

Kelly Johnson

The Story of a Rising Star

Whispers in the hallway: As you walk down the corridors of Coleman Hall you can hear the whispers of students talking. They are not talking about a bird or a plane; they are talking about Kelly Johnson. Kelly is a junior communication studies major from the south side of Chicago, an avid music listener, and a member of EIU’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and Students For Life.

For the people: One of the most important things to Kelly is giving back to the community that she loves. She just completed a summer internship with a non-profit organization and attributes the success she had as an intern to the Department of Communication Studies. Classes such as persuasion taught her how to use the right words when speaking to clients or co-workers in order to find common ground and keep the productivity high. 

Standing out: Kelly knows that standing out is going to make a difference in today’s job market, and she is certain that EIU has helped her achieve that. She believes that her ability to use programs such as Dreamweaver, Final Cut Pro 7, and Adobe Creative Suite makes her résumé pop. Additionally, being an active member of PRSSA will add not only to her résumé but further her career development. During her internship, Kelly was able to stand out because of her knowledge of crisis management, a concept she could rely on while planning and working events. “Without an understanding of this (crisis management) no event will ever be a complete success” Kelly says.

E-I-E-I-E-I-U: There are three things that will help Kelly reach her goals, which include working for a non-profit organization among others. First, Kelly is gaining professional experience from Eastern's highly educated professors and their challenging, yet exciting classes. Second, EIU has taught her to write with skill, accuracy, and efficiency. This is due to the fact that students in the department learn to write professionally. Kelly’s final selling point is that she is a true “go-getter!”

Written by Timothy Trahey

Senior in the Department of Communication Studies

Major: Public Relations