Adriana Kelly

How are you using the skills that you learned at Moody in your current position? 

I am constantly creating decks and pitching ideas to present to clients, a skill I honed in my PR capstone class at The Lab (shoutout to Lisa Dobias and Dr. Liza Lewis!). I also frequently use AP Style (shoutout to John Savage!).

How are you enjoying your career as an analyst at Deloitte? 

I love that I get to be a sponge. I feel grateful that my job allows me to lean into my intellectual curiosity, constantly researching and learning about new topics. So far, I've been exposed to communications and consulting work across higher education, civil government, federal health, and even international affairs.

Do you have a favorite project at your company? 

I recently wrapped up a project for the State of Texas, specifically with the agency that runs higher education resources like ApplyTexas. On my project, I helped with the creation of a platform called MyTexasFuture, a website designed to help Texans of all backgrounds with postsecondary and career planning. As someone who used ApplyTexas to get into UT, it was amazing to be able to come full-circle and support the next generation of students. 

Why did you study PR?

In high school, I was involved in yearbook and loved the writing aspect of all my English classes. I also love watching the Superbowl exclusively for the clever copywriting in the ads! Entering Moody, I knew my PR degree would be a place where I could take those passions and apply them in a professional context.

Were you in any student orgs? 

I was involved in the Moody College Honors Council, Communication Council, and the science communication lab at the Center for Media Engagement. I also was an RA at Scottish Rite Dorm and a TA for a math class.

Take it from a former honors student now in Corporate America — impostor syndrome is real. The good news? It turns out everyone else is also figuring things out as they go. If you start to feel like you're "behind," take stock of all you have to be proud of and remember that everyone else feels the same way, too. We're all just winging it.

Adriana Kelly

How did the Moody Honors Program help prepare you for your career?

I was fortunate enough to be a part of the first inaugural class of the Moody College Honors program, so although I watched the program evolve over the years, it always remained dedicated to one key facet: intellectual curiosity. Through discussions with folks in my cohort from a myriad of backgrounds, I learned how to ask and answer challenging questions. I got to dive deep into special topics and then present my own deep dive into a topic of my choosing — my thesis! I use these critical thinking skills on a daily basis today.

How was your degree helpful to your career? 

From my point of view, public relations is a skillset and a tool. Organizations of all backgrounds, whether they're an ad agency promoting consumer packaged goods, or a federal health agency spreading awareness about a disease, need someone who can distill the value of a product and tell that story to stakeholders. My degrees in Plan II and PR helped me build, respectively, the research and storytelling skills I use in my job.

What advice do you have for #TEXASMoody students? 

What do you miss most about Moody College? I

miss the community! I remember walking through the hallways of the DMC and bumping into professors or classmates I hadn't seen in a couple of semesters. I loved these spontaneous, meaningful conversations.

Can you talk about your career path? 

Throughout college, I had two key roles that prepared me for my role today. The first was a two year internship at Dell Medical School as a part of their in-house communications team. I learned how to translate dense medical information into short, digestible communications for laypeople. The second was a summer internship with Johnson & Johnson, where I got exposure to marketing strategies on a national scale while working with BAND-AID brand. These experiences, coupled with academic experiences throughout college, helped me build a portfolio that I used in applying to my current job. However, before starting my current job, I took time to travel. I studied abroad in Oxford to finish my English minor, and also explored cities like LA, Portland, DC, and Buenos Aires. Now I'm back in Austin, working for Deloitte.

What classes and professors helped the most? 

My senior year, I wrote a 90-page thesis through Plan II and the Moody Honors Program. I conducted primary and secondary research to answer the question: "What are best practices in vaccine communication campaigns?" Throughout this process, I worked with rockstar mentors Dr. Anthony Dudo, Dr. Lee Ann Kahlor, and Dr. Dave Junker. I learned so much from them about long-form academic writing and what it takes to conduct research. Today at work, when I mention my thesis to folks who work in the science communication space, I prompt lots of fascinating discussions!