Smith-Cotton Grad Share Public Relations Journey With School

Smith-Cotton High School graduate Dani Myers recently returned to her alma mater to share with students her experiences in public relations, both as a student and a professional.

A member of the Class of 2007, Myers visited Dec. 11 with business teacher Holli Goodrich’s Marketing class.

Myers earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations in 2011 and her master’s degree in the same field in 2013 from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, and went on to work for some of the most prestigious advertising and public relations firms in Kansas City. She also has served as adjunct faculty for UCM and recently was accepted as a doctoral graduate research assistant in the Strategic Communications Program at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Myers told the students that as she approached her graduation from Smith-Cotton, she was not certain what she wanted to do and did not know her career options. She urged the class to take advantage of college campus visits to learn about opportunities. After choosing UCM, Myers tapped into the school’s career services center and counselors, as well as personality testing, to help determine her interest areas. She “fell in love” with public relations, and said making it her major is “one of best decisions I ever made.”

Throughout her educational experience, she also gained practical experience through an internship at Crossroads, a communications firm in Kansas City, and as manager of Innovative Public Relations, the student PR firm on the UCM campus. After earning her master’s degree, she was hired into a management position at Bernstein Rein in Kansas City due to her advanced education and practical experience.

“The point of college is not just to get a degree, but to secure the job you want,” Myers told the students. “All the decisions you make throughout high school, throughout college, can lead you somewhere really great.”

She urged students to “follow your passion. At the end of the day, you want a job, but you want to enjoy going to work.” She also encouraged them to seek out avenues to gain experience in their field and options to get paid to learn on the job.

“There are opportunities out there available for you, take advantage of them,” Myers said. “They could lead to something bigger than you ever imagined.”