Meet The PRos

"Just say yes, even if you don't think you're ready." That was the consensus opinion among panelists from a variety of agencies and organizations at the "Meet the PRofessionals" event sponsored by the University of Oregon Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America on April 23-24.

Panelists included four former students from my classes in the public relations sequence at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, including Hannah Smith (Gard Communications), Justin Hanes (Amazon), Jennifer Foss (Intel Corporation) and Aaron Grossman (Portland Trailblazers).

Hosted and coordinated by UO PRSSA Events Director Tessa Campbell and President Jillian Gray, panelists offered lively responses to questions posed by Tessa and Jill, and spoke of their professional journeys as a circuitous route following years of networking and "trial and error."

Attendee Aislyn Morrill commented on LinkedIn: "I said 'yes' to showing up alone, to talking with strangers, to learning something new. As I started talking to other attendees, I found common ground -- people who also care about helping others, working with nonprofits and showing up as their best selves."

"Because of that, I gained valuable insights, grew my network and met people I genuinely connected with," Aislyn continued. "This experience gave me clarity, connections and confidence." Day 2 of the event offered another opportunity for students to connect with professionals in a more informal setting.

A "tour de force" from PRSA Oregon, including (from left) Andrea Watson, APR, Jonathan Yost, APR, Stacy Moe-Kean, APR, and Kelliann Amico, APR, Fellow PRSA, ventured down from Portland for the day to help out, and another former student of mine, Ann (A.wordsmith) Smith, joined us for the session.

Three Waterfalls Lodge

Built as a wilderness retreat on the Washougal River near the Columbia River Gorge by a prominent Portland judge (below, with his visage carved into an old cedar stump) in the 1920s, the Three Waterfalls Lodge is a secluded, picturesque setting for a family retreat over spring break.

The property features several acres and is located in a classic Pacific coast rainforest of large Douglas firs, Western red cedars and the occasional Sitka spruce, with Bracken ferns and sword ferns and moss -- lots of moss -- virtually everywhere. Weather cooperated and provided both days of sun and rain.

Best views were from the front deck overlooking the Washougal River (above) ambling down to the Columbia River Gorge about 10 miles downstream. The cabin, built before the existence of such things as building codes or land use laws, could never exist near such sensitive waterways in this day and age.

Despite its age, the lodge has been upgraded with all the modern amenities, including wi-fi capability, though cell phone service was a bit spotty.

Nonetheless, we had "old school" features, like a turntable with a healthy collection of vinyl record albums, and a television with a plentiful supply of VHS tapes, along with board games and playing cards.