AA: I traveled a lot when I was a child, but I stake my claim to my hometown of Stafford, Virginia – a small suburb outside of Washington, D.C.

I selected Spelman College for two reasons: I wanted the HBCU experience – an experience that I thought would be unique and quite different from anything I had experienced before (and I really did fall in love with the school when I walked on campus); and I really wanted to be in Atlanta (I had relatives there, loved the entertainment scene, and I was aware that African Americans were really excelling in the city).

AA: Spelman gave me a first-rate education, and unforgettable cultural experience, and it is where I matured and met my “life friends.” I can go on and on about my school because I really believe and know that Spelman equipped me with career, cultural, and intellectual tools that are unique to the Spelman experience.

I heard about the public relations and corporate communications program at Georgetown through one of my best friends. She and I were both in that rather interesting phase of trying to transition from liberal arts degree-holders to corporate career climbers. We both recognized the need to take our publicity and event planning experience as student leaders and formalize it in the classroom… with an attractive degree. The program was amazing, had amazing professors, and in its first year (in which I was a part) was nominated by PRWeek.

AA: Working as press secretary for ASP was a hard, but rewarding, job. I recommend press secretary-ish positions for anyone seriously considering a career in communications. I was responsible for directing and implementing comms strategies and products for an entire organization with a lean team. ASP tackled issues of national security, from nuclear security to climate change, so it was a cerebral job that necessitated taking all that complex, wonky info and distilling it for public (and media) consumption.