CPRS Student Steering Committe

Meet your 2014/2015 Student Steering Committee!

Over the next few weeks, we will be posting profiles of CPRS Toronto’s 2014/2015 Student Steering Committee. Stay tuned for more!

Cole Douglas, VP External
Humber College, Bachelor of Public Relations, Fourth Year

Welcome to our blog where many students – like yourself – will contribute experiences and tips we’ve learned along our PR journey. I have been involved with CPRS’ Student Steering Committee for three years, with this being my second year as VP External. I come from the Ottawa Valley (Renfrew to be exact) and moved to the bustling Toronto metropolis six years ago.

Do you have any other post-secondary education?
For three years I trained at St. Lawrence College in their Musical Theatre Diploma, which lead me to Toronto’s performance industry. After working in the musical theatre industry for a few years I decided to transition into the wonderful world of communication.

What do you enjoy most about being on the SSC?
Being a part of the SSC allows you to not only meet many different PR professionals, but gives you the opportunity to be exposed to the different sectors of communications. Whether you are meeting an individual taking their undergrad in corporate communication or you are connecting with a crisis management specialist at an event, there are always opportunities to learn new things.

What are you the most excited for this year?
I am most excited about our Building Media Relationships event. This annual event is where we bring in a panel of three PR professionals and corresponding journalists from that industry to talk about the importance of media relations. I am very passionate about the media side of PR and find this event very beneficial to any young practitioner eager to understand the concept of building critical media contacts.

What event did you enjoy the most last year?
I really enjoyed our Passport to PR event where we took groups of students into various PR offices throughout the city. Last year’s event was such a success it sold out in less than 24 hours and the event hashtag trended on Twitter twice that day! If you are considering attending this event, I would suggest following @CPRSStudents on Twitter to gain up-to-date information on registration before tickets are sold out.

Have you interned anywhere?
I have had a few internships during my studies. I’ve done PR internships at:
• Humber College’s Student Recruitment office
• North Strategic
• Strategic Objectives
• APEX PR Inc.
Each experience has been different providing me with new skills to add to my PR toolkit.

What is your dream job?
From PR agency heavy internship opportunities in the past, I know that I want to pursue this part of the industry. My ideal job would be to run my own PR agency one day where I get to work with colleagues that are like-minded and clients that I love.

Something random about me:
The year before I decided to go back to school to pursue PR I was a lead singer on a Japanese cruise ship where I had the opportunity to perform on an eight-month world cruise. I was able to visit every major city in the world and the exposure to the various cultures really added to my life.

Find me on:
Twitter: @coledouglas7
LinkedIn: ca.linkedin.com/in/coledouglas

Meet your 2014/2015 Student Steering Committee!

Over the next few weeks, we will be posting profiles of CPRS Toronto’s 2014/2015 Student Steering Committee. Stay tuned for more!

Arden Bagni, President
Humber College, Bachelor of Public Relations, Fourth Year

Welcome to our new, updated student blog. I’m very excited to be your new Student Steering Committee president this year! This will be my third year with CPRS, having been a student representative and then vice president previously. I am originally from Calgary and moved to Toronto to pursue a career in PR outside of the oil and gas industry (and fell in love with the city in the meantime!)

Do you have any other post-secondary education?
I attended University of Calgary for one year in the Communications program and realized it wasn’t for me. The program wasn’t specific enough and I felt a more hands-on education was what I needed.

What do you enjoy most about being on the SSC?
I love being able to meet so many new people! Throughout the year I meet students, professionals, new grads and others looking to break into PR. It’s great to see the camaraderie between everyone in the industry.

What are you most excited for this year?
I have to say our Passport to PR event. This is one that all students get excited about, and planning it is a rush. I’m also excited to announce that we will be running a second Passport to PR event in the spring, so stay tuned!

What event did you enjoy the most last year?
Although I enjoy every event we hold, I love Building Media Relationships because it always surprises people. Forging relationships with media is such an important aspect of PR, and I think it’s beneficial for students to learn about it firsthand.

Have you interned anywhere?
I just finished up my four-month internship at Global News. I was able to work right in the newsroom in the middle of all the action! I learned so much about the media landscape and wouldn’t have changed my experience for anything.

What is your dream job?
Eventually, I want to work for a brewery. I am always told that is a very “specific” area, but I think it’s good to have specific goals. I love a good brew, but more importantly, I think breweries need to begin targeting women and I would like to be a part of that.

What do you do outside of school?
Lots of work for CPRS! I also enjoy reading (just finished working my way through the Game of Thrones series), cooking and exploring Toronto with my friends.

Something random about me:
I once got lost on a hike in the woods in Banff and had to use the setting sun and a topographical map to find my way back. Prior to the hike I was terrified of spiders, but after “bushwacking” to find my car, I found I didn’t care that there were dozens of spiders nesting in my hair – I was just glad to find civilization!

Find me on:
Twitter: @ardenbagni
Linkedin: linkedin.com/ardenbagni