When Andrea Feminella decided to return to UGA to pursue a master’s degree after receiving her bachelor’s degrees in Public Relations and English, she wanted to not only find her voice but also find a new skill.
Words came easily to Andrea, but many times she found herself unable to translate the words she loved to the forum she knew everyone was using — the Internet. So, when she vowed to focus her learning on the computers she struggled to understand, she came to the New Media Institute with her writing skills and her desire to learn. She was awarded a NMI assistantship in her first semester as a graduate student and continued to thrive thoughout her two years at the NMI.
She developed a Facebook application idea for CNN that would use Big Data to suggest CNN articles to a user based on topics that a user’s friends posted about on their newsfeeds. This application earned her an summer internship with CNN Digital’s Product Development department. Andrea has also written a grant proposal for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation outlining a Facebook application that would increase encouragement within Facebook communities for incoming college students using the network’s notification system.
Andrea just finished helping plan the first ever TEDxUGA where she was Chair of Press Relations and Social Media and was a Teaching Assistant for the TEDxUGA: New Media Storytelling class. She is currently working on a paper analyzing Twitter reactions to the proposed government defunding of Planned Parenthood, to be submitted for publication later this year.
In May, Andrea will graduate with a master’s in Telecommunications with a New Media Certificate.
Q. Describe some of your most important career and educational accomplishments.
A. TEDxUGA was electric. A year and a half of planning, and I was still completely unprepared for how amazing the whole experience was. I got to help presenters render their messages to the TED stage, and in the end, it was definitely a career highlight.
My summer internship at CNN was also a game changer. Presenting my application idea could have been so overwhelming, but everyone at CNN Digital was willingly to listen and vet my suggestions. They are doing some pretty big things right now; so allowing me to be part of the conversation is absolutely something I won’t forget.
Q. What unique skills has working at the NMI helped you develop?
A. The NMI has taught me how to leverage social media platforms in unconventional ways. The Big Data that’s out there holds incredible potential for companies, and now my eyes are open to that way of thinking. I’ve worked with JavaScript and Facebook Open Graph API, so when I have an idea for an application, I know the right questions to ask to determine if the idea is a feasible one or not.
Furthermore, the NMI now puts an emphasis on clean TED-esque presentations that can communicate those ideas in the most impactful way. That communicative skill is crucial in not just technology positions but every job position.
Q. What are your post-graduation plans?
A. I’m hoping to get a job in project management. My CNN internship showed me that although I may not be a one-women revolution when it comes to changing the landscape of news and social media, I could certainly put myself in a position where I can think of some big ideas and actually do something about it. Call it idealist, but I want a job that has room for a little idealism. The power of TED demonstrates that one idea has the ability to impact millions. Project management is my best shot to realistically achieve that impact.
Q. What job advice do you have for graduating NMI students?
A. What Wickey said about volunteering for your dream job is true. It’s a way to get your foot in the door, but if you don’t know your dream job quite yet, that’s OK too. That’s what graduate school is for.
And if you do go back to school, learn something new — something completely out of your comfort zone. I was writer, whose only experience with technology came from Microsoft Word. Now, I can dissect Facebook Open Graph with the best of them, and I’m better for it.
Whatever you do, don’t stop learning. It’s corny, but technology won’t stop evolving just because you graduate. And The New York Times won’t stop writing articles just because you’re not quizzed on them anymore. If you keep yourself informed on the world, your work will be better no matter what position you’re in.
Q. What are your thoughts on current trends in public relations, social media, digital media, new media, etc.?
A. Apparently, technology isn’t slowing down. Every time I think I’m being cutting edge, the next big thing comes, and I’m standing in line at the Apple Store again. I showed the TEDx class a TEDTalk from 2006 where multi-point touch screen capability was showcased to a shell-shocked audience… and the class openly snickered. Technological breakthroughs from only eight years ago are now considered so old, they’re comical. We live in an age now where becoming dated can happen in less than 24 hours.
So, I understand why news media is so weary to participate in unproven platforms that constantly change. I’m a media consumer, and I can’t wrap my head around it. I can’t find my new Gmail icons, Facebook’s about to get its own phone, and I’m still despondent over the loss of Google Reader. But all this change doesn’t mean that we should stay in a cave and hope the storm will pass. It won’t.
Rather than being adversaries, let’s try to all get along. With the increased rate of online consumption through social media, we have to. News outlets along with other old-school corporations are going to have to take a leap of faith and experiment. Try a new platform. Test a new message. Adapt. I’m going to try to see if Mention can replace my Google Alerts. I’m going to find those hidden Gmail icons. I’m probably not going to get a Facebook phone, but graduate school has shown me that an old dog can learn new tricks, and that those tricks are quickly becoming a necessity for everyone.