Archer Fellowship Program Alumni Profiles
Claudia Victoria Lemus-Campos
Fall 2014 Archer Fellow
Internship: NBC News Washington Bureau
Education
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
B.A. Mass Communication with Advertising/Public Relations concentration; August 2015
Career
Public Relations Specialist with Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (PSJA ISD)
Fall 2014 Archer Fellow
Internship: NBC News Washington Bureau
Education
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
B.A. Mass Communication with Advertising/Public Relations concentration; August 2015
Career
Public Relations Specialist with Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (PSJA ISD)
“What I value most about being an Archer Fellow alumna is the ability to easily connect with other passionate individuals who are constantly striving to make a difference in their communities and in our country. In addition to the close-knit friendships we each make during our time in the program, what makes our Archer family special is our willingness to help each other and give back.
Q & A with Claudia
Please tell us more about your current position.
As the public relations specialist for PSJA ISD, my primary role is to support the director of communications with coverage and planning of special events and the production of a variety of publications including press releases, media alerts, feature stories and e-newsletters. Among my many responsibilities include writing and scheduling content for PSJA’s social media platforms and closely interpreting analytics and insights to ensure we are reaching our target audience and informing our stakeholders and community members about the many educational opportunities available. My work involves collaborating with individuals from numerous departments to help us complete our goals and promote new initiatives.
Please tell us more about your Archer Fellowship Program internship.
As the Justice Intern for the NBC News Washington Bureau, I assisted Producer Michael Kosnar and Justice Correspondent Pete Williams on story productions, preparations and research for daily spots on NBC Nightly News. In addition, I provided assistance and administrative support for news coverage during the 2014 Midterm Elections, argument days during the Supreme Court fall term and the Ebola outbreak. Among my many responsibilities included contacting NBC affiliates for copyright permissions and material gathering and assisting in the video logging of news briefs, video clips, and feeds.
What has been your general career path?
My general career path since earning my undergraduate degree has been focused on learning as much as I can about communications and public relations. I feel that my current position allows me to grow as a professional in my desired career field while giving back to my community.
How has your experience as an Archer Fellow influenced your career path and goals?
My experience as an Archer Fellow was life-changing. Although I loved my time as a Justice Intern, I learned that the fast-paced world of broadcast journalism was definitely not for me. That knowledge impacted my professional career path and goals because I came to realize that I enjoyed print and public relations much more. With that said, that realization has helped confirm my current professional path and goals because I am now fully aware of the type of work that I enjoy doing and that brings me joy. While some people spend years trying to find out what they want to do with their lives I feel very luck and privileged to be fairly certain of my career goals at the age of 24.
What did you value the most about your Archer Fellowship experience?
What I value most about my experience as an Archer Fellow is the friendships that I made and the numerous networking opportunities I was exposed to at my internship and during our classes at the Archer Center. Coming from the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, the Archer Fellowship Program was eye opening and helped me gain invaluable knowledge and work experience.
What do you value the most about being an alumna?
What I value most about being an Archer Fellow alumna is the ability to easily connect with other passionate individuals who are constantly striving to make a difference in their communities and in our country. In addition to the close-knit friendships we each make during our time in the program, what makes our Archer family special is our willingness to help each other and give back.
What is your favorite memory as an Archer Fellow?
My absolute favorite Archer Fellowship Program memory was being able to represent The University of Texas-Pan American (now known as The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Gala with my roommate Stephanie. Although meeting numerous influential Hispanic celebrities like Oscar de la Hoya and Telemundo’s Maria Celeste was pretty incredible, the best part of the night without a doubt was getting to shake President Barack Obama’s hand after he delivered a speech. Unbelievable!
Please tell us more about your current position.
As the public relations specialist for PSJA ISD, my primary role is to support the director of communications with coverage and planning of special events and the production of a variety of publications including press releases, media alerts, feature stories and e-newsletters. Among my many responsibilities include writing and scheduling content for PSJA’s social media platforms and closely interpreting analytics and insights to ensure we are reaching our target audience and informing our stakeholders and community members about the many educational opportunities available. My work involves collaborating with individuals from numerous departments to help us complete our goals and promote new initiatives.
Please tell us more about your Archer Fellowship Program internship.
As the Justice Intern for the NBC News Washington Bureau, I assisted Producer Michael Kosnar and Justice Correspondent Pete Williams on story productions, preparations and research for daily spots on NBC Nightly News. In addition, I provided assistance and administrative support for news coverage during the 2014 Midterm Elections, argument days during the Supreme Court fall term and the Ebola outbreak. Among my many responsibilities included contacting NBC affiliates for copyright permissions and material gathering and assisting in the video logging of news briefs, video clips, and feeds.
What has been your general career path?
My general career path since earning my undergraduate degree has been focused on learning as much as I can about communications and public relations. I feel that my current position allows me to grow as a professional in my desired career field while giving back to my community.
How has your experience as an Archer Fellow influenced your career path and goals?
My experience as an Archer Fellow was life-changing. Although I loved my time as a Justice Intern, I learned that the fast-paced world of broadcast journalism was definitely not for me. That knowledge impacted my professional career path and goals because I came to realize that I enjoyed print and public relations much more. With that said, that realization has helped confirm my current professional path and goals because I am now fully aware of the type of work that I enjoy doing and that brings me joy. While some people spend years trying to find out what they want to do with their lives I feel very luck and privileged to be fairly certain of my career goals at the age of 24.
What did you value the most about your Archer Fellowship experience?
What I value most about my experience as an Archer Fellow is the friendships that I made and the numerous networking opportunities I was exposed to at my internship and during our classes at the Archer Center. Coming from the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, the Archer Fellowship Program was eye opening and helped me gain invaluable knowledge and work experience.
What do you value the most about being an alumna?
What I value most about being an Archer Fellow alumna is the ability to easily connect with other passionate individuals who are constantly striving to make a difference in their communities and in our country. In addition to the close-knit friendships we each make during our time in the program, what makes our Archer family special is our willingness to help each other and give back.
What is your favorite memory as an Archer Fellow?
My absolute favorite Archer Fellowship Program memory was being able to represent The University of Texas-Pan American (now known as The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Gala with my roommate Stephanie. Although meeting numerous influential Hispanic celebrities like Oscar de la Hoya and Telemundo’s Maria Celeste was pretty incredible, the best part of the night without a doubt was getting to shake President Barack Obama’s hand after he delivered a speech. Unbelievable!
