Marquan Norris is a fourth-year double major in Public Relations and Communication Studies from the small-town of Fitzgerald, GA. However, he sees himself much more of a city boy who adores Ariana Grande and puppies. Norris chose to be a PR major, because he has always loved communicating and making relationships. As a kid, he frequently visited the library, intrigued with the components of the captivating and relatable stories he found there. He has always been fascinated with how a story can strike such an emotional response from audiences.
Norris is a very accomplished individual, having had a number of experiences on and off campus, including being a freshman board member of both UGA’s Student Government Association (SGA) and the Black Affairs Council, a leader of service events with ServeUGA, director of social media for SGA, a student ambassador at Grady College, a research specialist and director of communications for Talking Dog, a part-time model for Ursula Weidmann Models and The Agency, a public relations intern for the Georgia Museum of Art, and a talent and event relations intern for WarnerMedia, just to name a few. After graduation, he will begin as a brand strategy intern at Edelman. Needless to say, Norris has had a very busy past four years at UGA and Grady!
Norris specifically noted his internship experience with The Georgia Museum of Art as one that made him discover his adoration for Public Relations. That experience taught him all the foundations of PR and helped him establish some amazing connections that he still reaches out to today. It also showed him how different PR can be across different industries. At the end of the internship, he left feeling confident and determined about the avenue in which he was heading as a PR/Communications major.
The most purposeful and impactful experience at UGA for Norris was his brief work in social media with SGA. UGABelieve was a campaign that he began working on his freshman year, and it ended up being his most passionate project since.
“Coming from South Georgia as a Black, queer kid, you’re contantly wondering how you can change the world. I always sought to make society better for myself and others, but I never knew how to do that on a revolutionary scale. It wasn’t until I saw the 31st Administration, Georgia’s first all-Black executive ticket, be sworn into office that I realized my talents could be made for something greater. What happened thereafter was history. We generated record analytics, integrated DEI into our platforms’ message, made some amazing campaigns, and—most of all—HAD FUN! We shared memes and got funny replies to tweets. It was a stellar experience that opened my eyes to the potential community PR can foster in an audience.” – Marquan Norris
It is clear that Norris has made great use of his resources during his time at UGA and Grady to figure out his passion and develop his skills in many different, creative ways. His advice for undergrad students who are considering a major in PR is to “start thinking about your niche. What appeals to you? Do you want to step your foot into entertainment or agency experience? This is the time to test the waters, so go for the gold as it relates to your vision for yourself. PR is very multifaceted and It’s so important to see what it’s like working in a particular sector as it relates to your comfort and skillset.”
Norris is still figuring out what he hopes to do with his two degrees post-college, but he strives to do something that will make him happy and never bore him. Another fun fact about Norris is that he loves to dance! He believes it is very important to have some sort of creative outlet and that’s always been the fine arts for him. In high school, he got a full-ride scholarship to a local dance studio and became obsessed. He was in two dance companies and performed across the nation!
Grady and the AdPR Department is proud of everything Marquan Norris has accomplished and can’t wait to see where his bright future is headed!
