By Hannah Schneider, Strategic Communication – Public Relations ’20
Jordan Graham is a senior majoring in Strategic Communication – Advertising at Murrow College. From North Bend, WA, Jordan truly exemplifies the Murrow Legacy. Earlier this year, she traveled to New York City as one of the top 50 Most Promising Multicultural Students with the American Advertising Federation (AAF).
Like all Murrow advertising students, Jordan had Dan Petek as one of her advertising instructors. He encouraged her to apply for the AAF program and worked with her on the application essay.
“Dan kept pushing me and telling me that he thought I had more to my story than what I had written,” Graham said. “He told me that I was giving them answers that I thought they would want to hear but not telling my own story. That pushed me to write more about me and where I come from and my struggles and what makes me, me. Why I do all the things that I do to want to succeed.”
Then, during his 7:45 a.m. class, she received the news that she was chosen.
During her time in New York City, Graham participated in a number of industry tours, networking events, and an award ceremony.
“Everyone I met in New York is so similar to me. We all are so passionate and the things they have accomplished already while being so young is amazing,” she said. “I like to surround myself with people who are uplifting like that and want to succeed because that is exactly the direction I want to go.”
The AAF noticed that there is a huge lack of diversity in the advertising industry. However, some people claim that there just aren’t diverse people wanting those jobs. But the AAF set out to prove otherwise. They created this program to bring awareness to minority groups who should be part of the industry just as much as anyone else.
“For me personally I view this award as less to do with race and more to do with my own achievements and hard work,” she said. “Originally I didn’t think I was going to get the award so getting it reassures me that all the hard work I have done is for something.”
Graham credits Murrow College for providing so many different ways to get involved on campus. She is part of the Association for Women in Communication as their Social Media Director as well as part of the Advertising Club. She is a photographer for WSU Victoria Secret Pink on campus and also a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority.
“I just take everything that comes my way but in the end it all started with Murrow.”
To learn more about AAF and the Most Promising Multicultural Students Program, click here.