Written by: Laik Sweeney, University of Guelph-Humber Public Relations student and Internal Vice President, Student Steering Committee
Lauren Eakins is the 2020 Student Steering Committee Vice-President, External and a third-year student in Humber College’s Bachelor of Public Relations program. She is an avid lover of social media and leads the social media team at the SSC. Lauren is also passionate about social justice, diversity and inclusion.
*Responses have been edited for clarity. Watch the full interview here.
Tell me about your journey into the PR industry.
I can date my journey in public relations back a long time. Both of my parents are graduates of the Carleton University Bachelor of Journalism program. They made the transition from journalism into public relations when PR was becoming more prominent. I always knew that PR was what I wanted to go into, and I always had a knack for communications.
I started my journey by going to the University of Ottawa in 2017 for their bilingual communications program. However, it was not what I expected. So, I completed my first year but then decided not to go back because it wasn’t for me. I ended up applying to Humber’s program two days before the semester started and got accepted. So, that’s how I got into the more specific public relations program, and I love it. It’s very hands-on, and I’m learning the nitty-gritty content that I was hoping to learn when I first embarked on my post-secondary journey.
What do you think is the most valuable part of your role as SSC Vice-President, External?
I love building personal relationships and using my interpersonal skills. My favourite part of my SSC experience has been meeting all of these boss women, who are all students and have great aspirations and goals. They are all really focused on pivoting the public relations industry during these COVID times we are enduring right now and just have the want and need to make a difference. Making those connections with fellow students has been amazing.
Where do you see the public relations industry going in the future?
I feel that we are in a pivotal time right now. The public relations industry is headed down a road that is going to focus on community relations and focus on how audiences from the communities provide the insight that public relations practitioners are really looking for. We are straying away from traditional forms of media that are more one-way streams and starting to engage in an era where communications are more interactive between brands and companies and their customers. I’m looking forward to the way that we are going to be able to foster these communities and figure out different ways to communicate with them.
You have expressed an interest in working in social justice. Could you touch on that?
I can date my passion for social justice to one point. I was at my grandma’s house, and I remember hearing about the Trayvon Martin murder trial and about George Zimmerman being on trial and then getting off. I was young at the time, probably around 12 years old. I remember feeling a lot of outrage, even before the Black Lives Matter movement, I remember having the thought, “Why are Black lives not valued in America?” Canada has these problems as well, they just aren’t shown as much through media outlets. These problems exist all over the world. I’m a white woman, and I don’t suffer the injustices that the Black community suffers. I think it’s important to be an advocate for them and an ally.
What’s your biggest piece of advice for public relations students?
Get involved if you can. I spent my first two years pondering the thought of “what can I do to get my foot in the door in public relations?” It wasn’t until my third year that I heard about the SSC. I got involved. I got my foot in the door. I was honestly down on myself, I never thought I would be considered for the Vice-President position, but I got it. It has helped boost my self-confidence, helped me feel more productive and made me feel more valued as a public relations student. My biggest piece of advice is to get involved, be fearless in your pursuit and follow your passions within public relations. It’s such a wide industry with so many things in it, so follow your dreams.