Transferring to Hiram from a local community college affirmed Amber Downes’ desire for relationship building and networking. As a student, Downes involved herself on campus as the Vice President of Lambda Pi Eta (LPH), the official Communications Studies society of the National Communication Association, during the 2021-2022 academic school year. Now, as a recent graduate, Downes is excited for what lies ahead. “After graduating, I look forward to diving into my field and hopefully landing a job with a company that helps people in some way shape, or form. My goal is to someday do marketing or public relations for a prominent sports team,” she says.

Education is important to Downes, and she made sure to take her studies seriously. One of her memorable classes was ‘Survey of Journalism’ with Dr. David Strukel. She says, “aside from the fact that he’s an amazing professor, we got to visit a nursing home and put together videos for the residents’ families. It was so rewarding to be able to do something nice for someone while also gaining valuable journalism experience.”

Downes had the opportunity to do three marketing internships while at Hiram. Her first was through a real estate company in Cleveland, OH during 2020 where she created graphics, worked with social media, dabbled in grant writing, and filmed virtual open houses. Downes dove into designing marketing materials at her second internship with Bethel Baptist Church in Ravenna, OH. Her final internship was with Hiram College where Downes worked as an Administrative Assistant across the five schools and collaborated on social media posts, analytics, and updating website graphics. “These internships allowed me to discover my passion for marketing,” she says.

Looking back on her experience at Hiram, Downes is pleased with what she has accomplished over the years. “I am most proud of how I’ve changed my perspective on life. As a first-year student, I did not have any goals, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life,” she says. “After graduating Cum Laude with distinction and getting into Lambda Pi Eta, I can say that I am so proud of the person I have become.”