Elon alumnae Nicole Friend ’15 and Brooke Muller ’19 visited campus on Oct. 29, meeting with three classes as well as Live Oak Communications students, and hosting an interactive workshop and informational session.
Only five months removed from her own graduation, Elon alumna Brooke Muller ’19 could relate to the trepidation felt by the upperclassmen in Associate Professor Julie Lellis’ Health Communications class. And the W2O Group social media associate did her best to calm the nerves of soon-to-be graduates in the Schar Hall classroom.
“You are ahead of the game thanks to what you’ve learned here,” Muller said during her company’s on-campus visit on Oct. 29 that focused on health, technology and communications.
Muller commended Elon, specifically mentioning her School of Communications classes and her leadership experiences with Live Oak Communications, the school’s student-run strategic communications agency, for putting her on the path to success. However, Muller’s own ambition certainly helped – she conducted four internships as an Elon undergraduate, including a summer working for her current employer.
A leading independent provider of analytics-driven digital-first marketing services and communications for the healthcare industry, W2O Group has been a popular landing spot in recent years for School of Communications graduates and interns. In total, 12 Elon alumni currently work for W2O Group and four Elon students interned with the firm this summer.
Accompanying Muller was fellow Elon alumna Nicole Friend ’15, a W20 Group account manager, also on hand for the firm’s visit, which was promoted on campus as W20 Group Health Day. The trip included presentations with three classes and an interactive workshop with students. During the afternoon workshop, students broke into groups to work on a prompt to market a next-generation statin medication, then presented their strategies for feedback.
In addition to meeting with classes, Muller and Friend joined a reception with Live Oak Communications students, spoke with members of the university’s Student Professional Development Center, and ate lunch with members of Elon’s PRSSA chapter.
During their meetings with students, Muller and Friend discussed their respective roles, the healthcare industry, and what Elon graduates can expect while working in the strategic communications field.
Notably, Friend stressed that individuals don’t need to be healthcare experts to be successful communicators in the health communications field. She explained that W20 Group has a team of nearly 60 people who break down content for her and others to share in campaigns and related initiatives. This support allows Friend and her colleagues to focus on being “storytellers for our clients,” she said.
In recent weeks, the School of Communications has welcomed several media and communications companies to discuss their industries, internships and jobs. On Oct. 10, WarnerMedia, which owns HBO, Warner Bros and CNN, hosted a career and internship informational session. Two weeks later, public relations firm Oglivy conducted classroom visits and an informational session.