Kirsten Knott ’13

Building a resume for the real world

For Kirsten Knott, Iona’s size and location made it a good choice. But she fell in love with Iona because of the “countless opportunities for personal development.” Through three internships, several mission trips and a leadership role in a national PR association, Kirsten Knott, a mass communication major with a public relations concentration, developed into a confident and capable professional, ready to make her way in the wider world.

In her freshman year, Kirsten joined the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), an organization that would become a springboard for her career. She took on leadership roles and became president in her senior year. “Not only has PRSSA contributed to the development of my skills, but it has also opened many doors.”

During sophomore year, a connection with an Iona alumna and former PRSSA board member led to her first internship at Mitchell-Manning Associates, Ltd. in New York City.  “At Mitchell-Manning I learned a lot about event planning, marketing and public relations and my time there led to my second internship at”

Sophomore year was also when Kirsten had her first Iona in Mission trip to Washington, D.C. In the following year, she led a trip to Chicago, and in May of her senior year, she fulfilled a life’s dream and traveled with 10 other Iona students to Zambia. Working with the director of Iona in Mission to plan these trips had an unexpected bonus: a connection that led to an internship at FOX Broadcasting Company, where she worked with the media relations team.

Reflecting on the many opportunities she had at Iona, Kirsten is grateful for the experience and the confidence she gained. “It is at Iona that I found who I am and where I want to go in life.”

Move the World: Stories