Lisa's Favorites

By Lisa Sisk

Where in the world do I start with this? The entire experience was indeed wonderful, but I’ll try to pick out a few of my personal favorite moments.

I sincerely enjoyed my time with these students. The way they bonded and became a family impressed me, even before we left Columbia. Our two weeks in class were rigorous. They researched the organizations we would visit in Atlanta and presented detailed background information to their classmates. Every day, we participated in current events discussions about Atlanta news to familiarize ourselves with the city. Students also researched trends and issues in today’s public relations practice and led class discussions about those issues. They have diverse backgrounds and beliefs, but always treated each other and their opinions with respect.

Oh … the ice-breaker exercises they came up with in class were lots of fun, and eye-opening, too!

I was extremely proud of them during each of our visits. They were eager to learn, enthusiastic to spend time with our hosts, and visibly appreciative of the time these busy professionals spent with us.

During our time off, I enjoyed getting to know them better, learning about their families, their significant others, their jobs and their interests. I loved observing them interact with one another. The way they came together as a class and as a group of friends was delightful to watch.

Therefore, the top entries on my list of favorites are the students.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t cite our hosts on this list, as the trip wouldn’t have been possible without them. They were so willing to welcome us into their busy lives, sharing tips and advice with upcoming practitioners. I believe they may have gotten as much out of it as the students did. Many told me they wished they’d had such an opportunity when they were in college.

During one of our current events discussions, we learned a pair of rare peregrine falcons had nested on top of the Sun Trust building in downtown Atlanta. That excited me! So each time we rode anywhere near the building, I craned my neck and contorted my body to try to catch a glimpse of them through the bus windows. No luck. I was terribly disappointed until Wednesday evening. The alumni reception was on the top floor of none other than the Sun Trust building! The babies had already left the nest, although I could see the remnants of the nest. But I was able to spend several minutes gazing out the window at the male peregrine, who perched majestically in all his glory. I was certain he did so just for me. Definitely a personal favorite moment!

As I mentioned in Brent Duncan’s blog entry on UPS, I also loved talking with the UPS guys about the company’s sponsorship of Big Brown’s jockey Kent Desormeaux. I think Big Brown is going to be our first triple-crown winner in decades, so getting some inside scoop was fun.

Lastly, getting home was a favorite moment, but not for the obvious reason. Yes, I was tired and ready to sleep in something other than a tall single bed. But the genuine warmth and sincerity the students showed when they said good-bye was deeply touching. And many have written to say they miss our all being together and want a reunion soon!

Writing a list of favorites is more difficult than I thought it would be. It seems that the entire experience makes the list!