Laura Burr is a senior Public Relations major from Bishop, Georgia with minors in Fashion Merchandising and Spanish. She became interested in studying public relations by learning about it from a family friend who had graduated from Grady with a PR degree. Once she was in Dr. Cacciatore’s intro class, she knew she had made the right decision.
From her freshman to junior year, Burr was involved with the UGA Pandora Yearbook, the university’s oldest student organization. She began on the PR/marketing staff, which also helped solidify her decision to major in PR. During her sophomore year, Burr was selected to be the social media manager, and halfway through, she stepped into the role of PR/marketing director. Her junior year, she went on to serve as editor-in-chief, which is her proudest accomplishment to this day. She led the yearbook staff through the 2019-2020 academic year, facing the challenges of 2020 head on and leading her staff to finish and print the book during such uncertain times, proving her determination as an ADPR student and as a leader. “Luckily, my team and I worked hard to make it happen, and I love getting to see the book on my coffee table every day.”
In her final year, Burr is serving as a Yarbrough-Grady Fellow for the UGA Crisis Communication Coalition. She is primarily working as the social media intern, but she also helps coordinate webinars. Other purposeful experiences that have shaped Burr’s learning and growth throughout her time at UGA include working at Barberitos for five and a half years where she developed time management and leadership skills, being a social media intern for Children First, Inc., being a digital stylist at Cheeky Peach Boutique, and being a blogging and writing intern for Scout Social, a role that helped strengthen her copywriting and SEO skills. In addition, Burr has been involved with Perfectly Polished since fifth grade to which she attributes all of her public speaking, interviewing and professional skills to as well as her knowledge of fine dining etiquette and ballroom dancing. She moved on from a student to a teacher in the program in high school, and she is now part of the college staff, acting as a resource for young people, and teaching them the very skills that have helped her achieve her academic and professional goals.
Burr also had the experiences of studying abroad as a part of Grady’s travel writing program in Prague, an experience she recommends to every Grady student, and of working full time as an internal and executive communications intern at Barings during the summer of 2020. Although the internship was remote, Burr was able to learn about corporate communication and grow her skills in copywriting, social media strategy and social media analytics.
It is clear the Burr has been busy throughout her college career, not only developing her own impressive list of skills, but in helping others grow theirs as well. Her advice for underclassmen who want to be in her shoes as a senior is…
“If you’re even slightly considering a major in PR, do it. This is a major that teaches you so many skills that prepare you for a career post-graduation. Just know that what you put into this degree is what you will get out of it. Push yourself to produce your best work for every project and don’t take the professors or curriculum for granted.”
Once Burr graduates, she is interested in pursuing positions with PR or advertising agencies as well as positions in fashion marketing/merchandising. She is open to any and every opportunity as she has proved throughout her college career, but she would love to one day work on a marketing team for a luxury fashion brand. Overall, she trusts in the process and is excited to see where all of her experiences throughout her time at UGA and Grady take her!
