Inspiration, Community, and Ambition: Life As A Seneca Alumni

by: Lana Rosenberg, PR

Last week, standing before a room of determined students in only their third week of class, Portia-Marie Siegal gave an inspiring speech to the next class of Seneca’s Public Relations-Corporate Communications (PRCC) program graduates.

With an undergraduate degree in communications from York University, the next natural step for Portia was the PRCC program at Seneca. After graduating in 2018, she entered Boston University’s Master of Science in Public Relations program. Attributable to one of the countless advantages of being a Seneca alumna, Portia only studied two semesters at Boston University rather than three, as a handful of her PRCC credits contributed to her master’s. When reflecting on her graduate degree, Portia acknowledges the PRCC program’s role in her success and maintains that its gruelling workload made her time in Boston a breeze.

“Take everything you do here, and take it seriously. Take every opportunity. Use it for your portfolio. Having your name searchable is so important.”

– Portia-Marie Siegal

As students eagerly listened to Portia’s tips on how to thrive in the next eight months, she discussed the importance of punctuality, networking, and emotional intelligence. After her speech, I got a moment to interview her further on her experiences at Seneca, and she emphasized the value in classmate relations. Most of her colleagues still keep in touch and have succeeded in the Public Relations field – a typical Seneca alumni experience. Seneca graduates have a sense of community they know they can look to for nostalgia and networking.

For now, Portia is back in Toronto. She says the global network of public relations is yielding her interest towards England, where she’d plan to work at PR agency. As an educated and driven young woman, it is no surprise that Portia is looking to bring her talents international. The Seneca community is proud to have Portia-Marie Siegal representing us on a national level.

Lana Rosenberg is a current PRCC student and a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University. Lana is a driven young woman who intends to work in corporate public relations this spring.