The Road Into Public Relations and the Path Ahead
By Maggie Monroe, 10to1PR PR Intern, Summer 2025
As a summer intern at 10to1PR, this role expanded my understanding of the public relations field and provided guidance for my professional career as a public relations pro. 10to1PR offered countless hands-on experiences, I’ve been able to gain relevant technical skills and build upon my learning. While my academic courses set the basis for what to know about public relations, my time at 10to1PR provided me with firsthand industry experiences.
During my Junior year at Northern Arizona University, I was motivated to do additional coursework, such as drafting press releases and pitching. This drive to gain more practice led me to apply for the internship at 10to1PR. During the first few weeks of onboarding, I knew that my duration here would enrich my need to learn more about this industry through drafting pitches, performing media monitoring, and supporting client teams.
Starting at 10to1PR, I was assigned to various teams and helped with supporting their clients. Collaborating with these public relations professionals has contributed to my ever-growing skill set. While my academic courses laid out the foundation of what press releases are and how to manage media relations, this internship presented the true-to-life process of their teachings.
One of the most memorable experiences for me during the course of my internship was being invited to a media event for a team’s client. Family Promise of Greater Phoenix, a 10to1PR client, received a $150,000 Donation from a construction company to support Family Promise’s Emergency Shelter Program. With the client team inviting various local media to attend the check presentation ceremony, Arizona’s Family (Channel 3/5) and 12News (Channel 12) came to document this special event. The media event was a great angle for the story since it was able to perfectly capture the moment and the people involved in way this story is so worthy of reaching an audience. I was able to learn about procedures and etiquette conducted during these events, such as where to stand and how to correspond with media outlet figures such as camera men.
In addition to the Family Promise media event, one of my client team at 10to1PR was CDCA-WREB-CITA (CWC), an agency which focuses on dental licensure examination standards, was featured on a podcast with one of their spokespersons. I was a bit in the dark when it came to podcast interview procedures but thanks to my teammates, I was able to shadow them and learn the behind the scenes operation with talking points and media training.
Another standout experience during my internship was being able to attend the PRSA Phoenix Midyear Mixer. I have had limited experiences networking with other industry professionals, besides my professors, so this mixer provided me with the opportunity to connect with a variety of PR pros. At this event, I was able to converse with professionals working B2B, B2C, and even B2G, and receivel of their career insights deepened my perspective of where I wanted to head as an upcoming public relations graduate. The PRSA Mixer broadened my professional circle, connected better to my team members, and provided support being new into the field.
Being an intern for 10to1PR will always be a cornerstone in my journey of becoming a public relations professional. 10to1PR instills fundamental practices such as media relations, monitoring, with PR writing for any professional through their specialized guidance, career development, and team members.