Chats with PRSSA Champions: Gina Laughlin
Advice from a global public relations leader
Through my connection with Gina and many other Champions for PRSSA, I have truly grown from an unsure, confused underclassmen to a passionate, excited future professional. The Champions for PRSSA are professionals who have volunteered to provide mentorship, career advice and their expertise to students. They are a resource that every single one of us can learn from.
At the 2024 PRSSA ICON Conference, I had the pleasure of recording a podcast with a great role model of mine, Gina Laughlin. Gina is the Vice President of Global Communications at Delta Air Lines and serves as a Co-chair for Champions for PRSSA. Her leadership, poise and passion for mentorship shines through in everything she does.
I first met Gina in 2023 at ICON in Dallas, Texas when I was a sophomore who had recently switched into the PR major. This conference opened my eyes to so many aspects of the public relations industry. Watching Delta’s presentation at this conference gave me insight into internal, CEO and crisis communications. I immediately knew that I wanted to explore these areas of this field.
The following year at ICON in Nashville, Tennessee, I sat at Gina’s table for the Champions for PRSSA Breakfast and was able to chat with her in-depth about her work and my interests. The Champions breakfast at ICON has been one of my favorite sessions every year. It is an opportunity for students to get advice and professionals to inspire the next generation of PR pros.
Gina’s advice and expertise was incredibly helpful as I worked to figure out how to maximize the last two years of my college career. As a former PRSSA National President, Gina shared about the importance of connecting with your peers and learning as much as you can while in school. She also emphasized raising your hand for the things no one else wants to do. There is so much to be learned by doing the hard and maybe less glamorous things in this profession.
Over the summer, I got to experience Gina’s calm, caring leadership style firsthand as a Global Communications Intern at Delta Air Lines. It was exciting to work on a team of truly fantastic communications professionals, and I certainly learned something new every day.
Advice from a global PR leader
As PRSSA National Vice President of Career Services, connecting students to professionals is a key aspect of my role and it is a pleasure to work with the Champions for PRSSA.
In this podcast episode, Gina shared that she chose to become a Champion because of the mentorship she received when she was in college. “I personally experienced all of the things that Champions’ stand for,” Gina shared as we talked about her time in PRSSA.
We also discussed:
Leveraging the skills and experiences of the team around you – Working with unique individuals builds dynamic teams. It is important to know your teammates’ strengths and help each other shine.
Staying in touch and taking advantage of networking events – One of the greatest ways you can make a connection with someone is with a handshake. Also, do not be afraid to follow up because there are so many professionals who are willing to help.
Learning to lean into the unknown – You may not know what your next role will be, or the next opportunity. However, by leaning in and trusting the process, you can push yourself to become a better communicator and leader.
All of the Champions for PRSSA are incredible resources who are willing to help. To learn more about Champions or connect with a potential mentor, visit champions.prsa.org.
You can listen to the first episode in the Chats with Champions series on any platform by searching PRSSA Podcasts. I hope this episode is an inspiring reminder that many leaders were once in our shoes. If you are interested in hosting an episode of this new series please reach out to me at vpcareerservices@prsa.org!
I’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts, ideas, or questions in the comments below and join the conversation.
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Meet Megan
Megan vanVollenhoven, the 2024-2025 PRSSA National Vice President of Career Services, is a senior studying public relations at the University of South Carolina. VanVollenhoven has been involved with PRSSA since her freshman year of college. Last year, she served as the PRSSA National Vice President of Professional Development where she supported ethics programming and student-run firms. This summer, she worked as a Global Communications Intern at Delta Air Lines. VanVollenhoven is highly involved on her campus and has been selected as an inaugural member of EMERGE: The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations and The Grossman Group Leadership Academy.
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