From College to Career: A Journey into Communications

3 days ago
2 min read

Who am I?

Hello! My name is Ella Lauzen, and I'm the new Communications Intern for Women into Networking in the spring of 2026. I am currently a senior at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, with a major in

Communications with a specialization in public relations and a minor in Journalism, expecting to graduate this May. While I entered college not knowing what exact career path I wanted to pursue, I trusted fate to bring me exactly where I needed to be, which is where I am today!

How College Started My Career

Although I began my college journey in 2022, my career path didn't emerge until my sophomore year. In August of 2024, I had my first class in our communications building, Public Relations 101. It is here that I not only learned about the profession, but also about who I could become within the profession. The teacher for that course, Sakshi Bhati, brought out a professional side of me that was dormant before, and it was ready to get started fast. About a month into the course, I knew this was where I belonged, and I immediately switched my major to public relations.

How It's Going

Since then, I have been an active member of PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) led by Sakshi, and have had the most amazing opportunities, from expanding my networking to teaching me hands-on skills. This academic space gave me space to grow as an individual and a professional, and I could never be more thankful for all of it.

What's Next?

I am so excited that the next steps for me as a professional are going to be working and growing with Women into Networking. This is my first internship, so to have the opportunity to learn from women who were like me gives me hope for my future as a professional. I am grateful to have the role of WINtern and look forward to carrying out what I learn from this experience with me throughout my career.

Get To Know Me Even Better!

While I am at the beginning of my own journey, I would love to share it all with you. This ride is going to be long, exhilarating, and unforgettable, and I hope you'll follow along! Below are my social media pages-feel free to connect and keep up with my journey!