My NC State Story: Jackie Yanchocik (Communication ‘12)

I graduated from NC State in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in communication and a concentration in public relations. Ever since I can remember, I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in media of some sort, whether that was sports, travel, hospitality, or even fashion. During my time at NC State, I also had the opportunity to compete as a gymnast, so sports were naturally in my blood.

Originally I thought I wanted to study media, but then I started to find a passion for public relations. It was during my Problems in PR, Crisis Communication, Media Relations, and Writing for PR classes that I realized that was the route I wanted to go. I found myself gravitating toward the world of PR and marketing thanks to my incredible professors at NC State. They always emphasized that there is so much you can do with this degree, and they definitely were not wrong.

The summer before graduation I was hired as a marketing intern for the Philadelphia Eagles in my home state of Pennsylvania. My professors stressed how important internship experience was in that field. They always did whatever it took to help us succeed in looking for internships. I was so lucky to have many opportunities for learning and success through NC State. Even though PR was my concentration, I was able to take a few broadcast and media classes as well. Just before graduation, I found out that I was offered a job with FOX Sports Florida in Fort Lauderdale doing PR and media. Through that job, I got to work on the sidelines at Miami Heat games, Marlins games, Dolphins games, and other professional and college sporting events in South Florida. I know my degree from NC State played a huge role in preparing me for real-world work experience.

After working in the sports broadcasting world for a year, I decided to switch paths and go into the cruise industry. My college teammate was working onboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas performing in the entertainment shows. I had a knack for travel, and this felt like an amazing opportunity I couldn’t pass up. So I went out to sea for seven months as part of the cruise entertainment staff. I got to sail to ports like Jamaica, Haiti, U.S. Virgin Islands, Mexico, and the Bahamas. This kickstarted my love for travel. Upon finishing my contract, I took an eCommerce and digital marketing position with Carnival Cruise Line, working in their corporate offices in Miami, Florida, where I produced content for their website.

Fast forward a few years: I now oversee all the communication and PR for a school district back home in Pennsylvania. I know that my degree in communication has prepared me in a variety of ways for each type of job I’ve had throughout my career and I owe all of that to NC State. I constantly say how proud I am to have my bachelor’s degree from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Jackie Yanchocik is the public relations and marketing coordinator for the Warwick School District in Lititz, Pennsylvania.