In the fall of 2013 I thought that I was transferring to the University of Indianapolis for a better collegiate golf career, little did I know I would soon after fall into something better for my “real world” career.
In the spring of 2014 I enrolled into Top Dog Communication after deciding my emphasis was going to be better suited as Public Relations. After being totally overwhelmed and scared out of my mind during the first “class” on that late Monday night, I soon fell in love with what didn’t feel like a class at all.
My first client group worked with Daubenspeck Community Nature Park. We focused on rebranding them and to spread awareness of the park. Located on the city’s north side, in all of the hustle and bustle of the Indianapolis suburbs, is a serene green space that over takes 22 acres. We launched a new website, created flyers, wrote letters to schools for field trips, and made a new style guide… 12 weeks earlier I couldn’t even tell you what a style guide was. My next client group was Waycross Camp and Conference Center, and the Andy Gilliland and Friends Annual Golf Outing (AGAF) followed.
My skills grew with each client and my passion truly sparked with AGAF. With college coming to an end, I know that means an end to something that’s been a part of my life for 12+ years, top notch competitive golf. They say golf is a lifelong game, but I know for me it will never be the same. As the old saying goes, “when one door closes, another opens…”, Top Dog is leading me to my new door. It has possessed me with the skills to be more than just “a former Riley Kid” at my internship for the Riley Children’s Foundation. My work is not going unnoticed, and without my Top Dog experience, I can honestly say that wouldn’t be true. I may even get the experience to be a lead on a new project before graduation in May. There aren’t many college students out there starting their career before graduation… However, I’ve met a couple; they are now Top Dog Alums.
​In life they always say “you have to start somewhere”, well Top Dog has been my starting point and my foundation to stand upon.
So big that my friends will literally text me a photo that they are about to post on Instagram and simply say, “Jess, caption this,” because social media is what non-COMM majors assume that all aspiring PR professionals are good at. This may not actually be reality, but it is extremely fun to scroll through my social media feeds and see captions that I have written for other people.
I have helped my friends design a logo for their new business. This was only made possible because my Microsoft Publisher skills have flourished all thanks to TopDog. They plan to use my design on their promotional material, and they are even making patches for their work uniforms using my design (so cute, right?).
I have designed t-shirts and drafted flyers to promote events held at my boyfriend’s fraternity. I have acquired these techniques by doing similar work for previous clients, yet using them in ways that I would have never expected.
Applied PR has given me a whole new persona: the girl that can be creative and design stuff, and I honestly couldn’t be more excited about that.
When first thinking about how applied PR has affected my personal life, I struggled to come up with a way it did. I mean, I’ve only been in the class for a half a semester and the first half I dreaded the class.
My first thoughts went to how the class caused stress in my life. Last semester in applied TV I was stressed, but not like this. In TV, I was stressed because, how the heck am I supposed to write something funny enough that everyone was going to laugh? I know how to work a camera and use editing software so that wasn’t a problem. But in PR the few tactics I had to complete were things I never really done before and it was overwhelming. I was out of my comfort zone.
But, as fate would have it (and after chilling in the Top Dog office and realizing how cool and helpful everyone is) I learned to enjoy the class and started to apply it to my life more. My ultimate goal is to work in the entertainment business. I try my best to reach out to bands and filmmakers I know and see if they need help of any kind. One band I follow recently announced a new album and tour so my friend and I immediately emailed their manager asking if it would be possible to make a few stops on tour with them. I mentioned that I am currently working in the school’s student run PR firm and it sparked his interest. He told me to keep in touch and see if it would be possible to work something out next year.
But by far the coolest thing to happen to me is that I get to help Dakota Laden, a YouTuber/filmmaker I follow on his documentary called “Trail to Terror.” As soon as he made the announcement about the film, I shot him an email offering him my help. I told him about both my experience in TV and PR. After about a month of waiting for a reply, I thought he either wasn’t interested or weren’t receiving my messages. I wasn’t too disappointed. I was just proud of myself for reaching out. Then, as I was trick or treating Halloween night with my younger cousin, I finally received an email from Dakota saying he’d love my help! He said he was impressed with my motivation and work so far and thinks I’d be a helpful part in making his film. I’ll be meeting with him later this month to finalize what aspects he’d like me to help in.
I’m really excited to see where these opportunities take me and can’t wait to see what other opportunities are ahead of me!
Going into an applied class as a junior can be tough, tough work. You are in the shoes of a freshman, but your credit status says you’re a junior. Confusion at its finest right there. Walking into the door, I had no idea what to expect. I was that little sheepish kid walking into junior high for the first time, looking lost and confused.
The first week there was a lot to take in with a lot of information thrown at you and the syllabus (but what syllabus isn’t scary!?). I have learned that applied classes can be the most intimidating things, but the most helpful with figuring out what your path is. And that is exactly what Top Dog has done.
In Top Dog, I have become more confident in myself, the skills I have gained from my communications classes, and confident in the friends I have made within this course itself (and I have only been in this class for 2 month…crazy!). I have been thinking very serious about internships within the field, what category in the field that I want to build my career on, and finally having reassurance that this is the field for me. That last point is the hardest in college. Luckily, I have FINALLY found my niche and the community that I belong in. It might have taken a hot second to find it, but I can say THIS IS IT! And I have to give all my thanks to Top Dog Communication!
Top Dog has been the savior of my academic career here at UIndy. When I first arrived at UIndy, I was a transfer student with a major in Exercise Science Pre-PT. After struggling for a few semesters I realized I wasn’t putting my natural abilities to use. You see, I am a creative person with a passion for descriptive words and television. As you can probably guess, that didn’t help me much in the medical field.
After doing some research, I stumbled upon the communication department. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do, but I just knew this department was the right place to discover whatever it is that might be. After meeting with the Dr. Clark, the department head, he helped me decide on an emphasis of public relations which allowed me to expand on my creative writing skills. PR also allowed me to keep in mind that I would be a part of a team that helped develop ideas for commercials, and promote objectives that could not only improve PR for my client, but how publics related to one another.
Top Dog has helped easy my anxiety of joining the workforce because of the applied work I have already completed for previous clients. I now have a functioning resume, cover letter and portfolio to show employers not only what I am capable of, but what I enjoy doing.
There is nothing normal about the Applied Public Relations class at the University of Indianapolis. Like honestly, there isn’t a single normal thing. Even the chairs and desks aren’t normal! The two hour and fifty minute Monday night class in an irregular beast that only a select few truly have the fantastic opportunity to learn to understand.
It is kind of hard to explain to someone who has never been in Top Dog what Top Dog is and it’s importance. I mean sure it isn’t hard to tell people that Top Dog Communication is a student-run public relations firm at the University of Indianapolis. It is hard however to explain why Top Dog is so special. There is just something about Top Dog that you don’t see coming when you enter the class for the first time, but soon enough it hits you. In Top Dog you as a student are more valued, respected and needed than in any other class.
Your job in Top Dog is to learn how to be a PR professional while acting like you’re a PR professional. Attend meetings and brainstorm with clients as if you’ve done this a million times before. Create websites and social media cards because social media cards are totally a thing and they totally make sense. Keep track of like 60 different assignments due at different times to different people. Join PRSSA. Pull up your big kid pants and learn to adult while being expected to be an adult. It all seems so overwhelming but gosh it is worth your while.
When you’re brainstorming in a client meeting, spitting out ideas that you didn’t even know you could think of, there is someone there listening to you and taking you seriously for the first time in probably forever. We’re young adults, we’re not meant to be taken seriously yet! Or are we? In Top Dog your thoughts and opinions are highly valued, if not praised. It is the first time that your voice is 100% heard and that starts to build a new kind of confidence within you. You learn that speaking your mind is what makes the world go ‘round and that answering your emails also keeps the world spinning.
There are plenty of classes that offer real world experience and plenty of classes that students enjoy. But there aren’t too many classes that you’ll enjoy and offer real world experience that put your work out into the world while building your reputation, portfolio and confidence. The friends you make become your network, your assignments become your portfolio, and your title as member of TDC becomes a part of your resume. Before you know it you’re 10 steps ahead of the game in PR and you’re s second semester sophomore.
The Applied PR class, COMM 140, or Top Dog Communication is one of those cheesy, “building for life,” classes that actually works. And you’ll remember always how it felt to sit in a swivel chair and race through an AP Stylebook quiz.
You know how when you visit a college and your tour guide makes it seem like rainbows and butterflies? That’s actually Top Dog Communication, but not in the colorful winged manner. Top dog Communication is a classic example of getting out what you put in. The best part of the class is that there are opportunities for growth that don’t have a grade stamped on them. Someone who is taking the course for the first time has the opportunity through the beginner’s test to climb the levels of the class: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Another opportunity for advancement is to apply to be a manager. After just one semester of the class, I was able to become a manager for the next academic school year. I was only a sophomore.
Bragging rights aside, this position has helped me in multiple ways. The most obvious of these is the leadership role. As a manager, I have to conduct a public relations campaign and oversee the development of my group members as they create tactics for our client. This task is by no means an easy role- especially being so young. But getting this opportunity has boosted my self-confidence and learning experience. With so many different people to go to if I need help, I’ve grown more than I would have ever thought as a professional.
This class works with real-world non-profit clients who need our help. This changes the game for sure. When completing tactics, it was always a motivational point that the pieces that I’m creating will be put to use by these companies. Who would have thought that a class could give someone so many experiences in just three hours a week? I knew it would be a lot of work but I had no idea that I could gain so much.