By Madison Irving, Strategic Communication ’20
Meet Sherwin!
Sherwin Francies is a senior studying Strategic Communication with a focus in Public Relations and minoring in Environmental, Risk and Science Communication. Sherwin decided to attend WSU’s Murrow College as an international student because he recognized it as one of the best communication colleges in the country.
“I was initially concerned about coming to WSU due to its relatively small international student population, but the culture of support and reinforcement at the Murrow College alleviated those concerns from day one,” Sherwin said.
Since transferring to WSU as a junior, Sherwin has been able to gain a wide array of professional experiences. He has been working with the WSU College of Education as a Marketing and Communications Intern and as a Public Information Intern with the College of Veterinary Medicine. One of his favorite Murrow College experiences was going on the Rural Reporting Plunge.
“It gave me on-the-field experience in reporting and it was a genuinely fun trip with a group of people who had the same interests,” he said. “As an international student, it was the first time I visited small-town America and it was a lovely experience.”
Sherwin currently serves as the president of the Jay Rockey Chapter of PRSSA at WSU while also participating in the PRSSA Bateman competition earlier this year, where he helped create the Cougs For Census campaign. Sherwin’s hard work and dedication paid off, earning him a PRSA scholarship earlier this year. He is also a Murrow Student Ambassador and served as the Web Publicity Manager for Cable 8 in the spring 2020 semester.
If he could offer one piece of advice to incoming Murrow students it would be to make use of the resources and opportunities available to you.
“The Roman philosopher Seneca said, ‘luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.’ I think we are lucky to be a part of the Murrow College – it prepares you for the experiences ahead of you and gives you the opportunities you need to succeed,“ he said.
One day, Sherwin hopes to work as an in-house Public relations specialist or a crisis communicator.