By Stevie Goulette
When Sherry Jackson and Nadine Krimow were trying before college to decide what to do with their lives, the television screen had a lot of appeal.
“I thought I wanted to be the next Barbara Walters,” Krimow remembers.
But early plans can change as a college career unfolds, and the two Fisher Communication/Journalism graduates used internships as a way of discovering that television wouldn’t be right or them. But alumna Kristy Guerra did the opposite, using an internship as the stepping stone to what is now her full-time job.
Jackson wasn’t your typical college student. She is a mother of two and decided to hold off on college until she was slightly older and more focused. Jackson began her college career at Monroe Community College studying journalism. Tom Proietti, a professor at both MCC and St. John Fisher, urged his advisee, Jackson, to pursue her dream of being a journalist and to continue her college career at St. John Fisher.
Jackson did just that. She graduated from Fisher in 2009 and is now a communications coordinator for Partners + Napier. Nonetheless, her dream job at Partners + Napier did not fall in her lap. There were obstacles along the way.
“Starting off I thought I wanted to do the whole TV thing, standing in front of a camera and reporting,” Jackson states.
However, a helpful internship at Channel 10 in Rochester let Jackson realize that television wasn’t what she wanted to do.
“I have two children; I’m a mother I couldn’t deal with that kind of schedule,” Jackson remembers.
Jackson also applied to intern at Partners + Napier, and was turned down. However, a few months later a friend in the agency contacted Jackson about a 12 week program Partners + Napier was hosting called, “Brand Camp.” At this point Jackson had graduated and was no longer looking to intern; on the other hand, she knew this would be a good step. Jackson turned heads at her tryout for “Brand Camp” and was crowned head of “Brand Camp.”
“As an intern, I worked five days a week, 40 hours a week,” Jackson remembered. She did whatever was asked of her, feeling that “No job was too small.”
Jackson’s hard work and dedication paid off as she now is a copywriter/project manager for her team at Partners + Napier working with many wine brands such as Ravenswood and Robert Mondavi as well as Black Velvet whiskey. She said she enjoys the job because it involves a great deal of writing and creative expression.
Fisher alumna Nadine Krimow had a similar story. Krimow began her higher education at MCC, and finished at St. John Fisher, originally hoping to be a television journalist.
This was before she did her first internship at YNN, formally R News. Similar to Jackson, Krimow realized it wasn’t for her.
Krimow called herself “a fair weather kind of girl.” Standing outside in all kinds of conditions reporting the news wasn’t going to be her ideal job.
With the help of former St. John Fisher professor Jennifer Roberts, Krimow was able to decide what exactly it was she wanted to have a her career in.
Krimow remembers Roberts being such a young, energetic professor with real world experience. The class was encouraged to create real life projects to gain experience in the field.
“This helped me focus my concentration to public relations,” states Krimow.
Krimow began her career at Red Cross of Rochester in the disaster services sector of the organization. Here, Krimow was able to master her skills in crisis communications.
“Working for a non-profit you are hands on with everything you do. It becomes a great resume builder,” Krimow states.
After four years of being on call 24/7 and conquering Red Cross and its crisis communications area, Krimow was ready to broaden her horizon. Good references and a solid resume helped lead Krimow to her current position today as a public relations manager at Dixon-Schwabl.
Unlike the first two young professionals who began their college career interested in television, Kristy Guerra attended Fisher for four full years concentrating in public relations. Guerra helped Fisher start its chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America along with PRIVA Connections, which gave students the ability to deal with real life public relations situations.
Guerra’s internship with Bausch + Lomb landed her a full-time position with the company, where she is now a communications specialist responsible for internal communication and a great deal of online work with B+L’s global operations.
She’s already making a name for herself outside the company, too, being named by the trade magazine PR News in November to its “15 to Watch” list of prominent young professionals. Her supervisor nominated her without her knowledge, and she was surprised to receive the award.
All three said internships and networking were important to their setting their path into a career.
“It’s the small things, being appreciative- send “than you” cards, people will remember you,” Krimow states.
With the help of St. John Fisher and their own drive all three ladies we’re able to conquer the “real world” and begin a successful career for themselves.
