A New Jersey native, senior Becca Fishman COM’25 is finishing her bachelor’s degree in Communication while also pursuing a Master of Communication and Media through the five year dual degree program. Initially coming into Rutgers with the intention to study Psychology, Fishman decided she wanted to switch to Communication. Aside from academics, Becca enjoys anything creative which she notes led her to the Communication degree, and ultimately, the Public Relations specialization.

On campus, Fishman is the president of ScarletPR, Rutgers' very own student-run public relations agency. Fishman joined the organization in September of 2023 as a general member when she decided to get more involved and become an Account Manager for the club. She decided to take on a larger leadership role in ScarletPR and ultimately become the President for the 2024-2025 school year.

In our Q&A with Fishman, she explains why she chose to get involved in Scarlet PR, why she’s pursing an MCM program, and what she plans to do when she enters the public relations field.

SC&I: How did you get involved in Scarlet PR? You went from Account Manager and soon after became President of the club. How did you decide that you wanted to take on a leadership role?
BF: I joined ScarletPR in September 2023, almost exactly a year ago, when I had switched my major to Communication. I only had taken one Communication class, and I wanted to get more involved. I had nothing on my resume at all, so I went to the Involvement Fair, interested in getting into any kind of Communication or PR club. Since Scarlet PR works with clients and provides real-life PR experience, I wanted to get more involved rather than just being a general member at meetings. My first work experience was as a brand ambassador for a hair salon which helped supplement my resume. From then on, becoming more involved at Scarlet PR as an Account Manager helped me to succeed in my interviews by utilizing the skills that ScarletPR provides, such as PR basics. Ultimately, I was able to win my first two internships, became more involved in Scarlet PR, and attained a leadership position on Scarlet PR’s E-board. 

Since Scarlet PR works with clients and provides real-life PR experience, I wanted to get more involved rather than just being a general member at meetings. My first work experience was as a brand ambassador for a hair salon which helped supplement my resume. From then on, becoming more involved at Scarlet PR as an Account Manager helped me to succeed in my interviews by utilizing the skills that ScarletPR provides, such as PR basics.

SC&I: Why did you decide to pursue the MCM program? 
BF: My decision towards the MCM program was a difficult one. Although a lot of people in PR transition to agency life without pursuing a master’s degree, I wanted to get as much as I could out of the classes at Rutgers. I thought that it would be helpful for gaining more connections with other people who are also pursuing a master's in PR, or with those who might even be working full time in the field. Since I can complete it during my senior year, it's more cost effective. The tuition becomes more affordable because the MCM 5+ year program allows students to take graduate classes at an undergraduate tuition rate, which was a big factor in my decision as well.

SC&I: Can you tell me about your internship this summer as a PR intern at VioletPR. What kind of tasks and projects did you do? 
BF: This past summer, I just had my second PR internship as a PR intern at Violet PR, which is in Montclair. This internship was hybrid so I had to be in the office once a week, and then I did my other hours online for one other day of the week. It's a PR boutique firm, and they work with many clients involved in fields like economic development, engineering, construction, and architecture, among many more. At my first internship, it was fully remote, so during my internship at VioletPR, I was able to experience what it's like to work in an office, which is a huge difference because you're able to actually build relationships with those in the office. I was also able to learn the culture in the office and how to dress properly for professional settings. Aside from that, in terms of my daily tasks, I felt that this internship really helped me refine certain PR skills, such as building media lists, creating press releases, and more. I also used Muck Rack daily and learned how to use the advanced searching tools rather than just conducting a simple search. I worked on a press release towards the end of my internship, and overall, I felt like interning for Violet PR really helped refine my skills, and I feel more confident going into my next internship after interning for them. 

Learn more about the Communication major, the Master of Communication and Media degree, and Scarlet PR on the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website. 

Photo: Courtesy of Becca Fishman