Highlights

• A fall 2009 graduate who majored in AD/PR and who is now the sole proprietor running her very own PR firm: Bennis PR.
• Shirley believes that students should take risks and try new things early on in their careers. Just because you didn’t major in a particular subject doesn’t mean that you can’t try something related to that field.
• Her main piece of advice to current and prospective students is to make sure to manage and devote your time to just a few things that you are passionate about.

Stephanie’s Story

Stephanie Shirley graduated from the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications in the fall of 2009 with a degree in Advertising/Public Relations and a minor in Communication Arts and Sciences. She is currently running her own public relations firm; Bennis PR. 

Stephanie knew that she wanted to go into communications after being inspired by her older siblings that graduated from the same field. She always loved writing and being able to put her ideas on paper, so when she found out that she could do this for a career she was thrilled. 

“I can take all the words and creativity in my mind and put it out there.” This was Stephanie’s main driving force for going into communications. 

Stephanie sees Penn State as the perfect school because it has a lot of fun activities both on and off campus and also has a great educational program. The professors, facilities and opportunities make this a great school to find your passion. Penn State is also helpful in making professional connections and getting your future network started. 

After graduating, Stephanie was fortunate to get a job right away as part of the Department of Health’s Legislative Affairs team and later part of Governor Corbett’s campaign. She stayed in this position for about a year and then started to do some freelance work. She found that she had more fun working on these types of projects which led to the idea of starting her own firm. This was the birth of Bennis PR.

Stephanie formed Bennis PR in 2011 when she was just 23. The company will be turning 10 years old this summer. Named after one of her sons, Bennis PR was a way for Stephanie to explore the entrepreneurial side of communications that not many outside of the business world ventured to. She knew that she was at the perfect time in her life to take a leap of faith and try something entirely new. Stephanie had a knack for managing several clients at once and staying on top of things, so opening her own firm was a perfect way to prolong this feeling. 

Today, Bennis PR is as busy as ever with the many COVID-19 concerns that companies and businesses both have. Stephanie says that they are really fortunate to be thriving right now. 

“These people need PR more than ever. They need help getting their messages out and staying open.” This is a great time to learn new tactics and test new strategies since there is nothing to base this new progress. Bennis PR is one of the firms that is laying the groundwork for how to function during a global pandemic.  

As the sole proprietor of Bennis PR, Stephanie says that it was difficult at first to figure out all the specific business tasks to starting a company because she did not graduate with a business degree. Despite that, she has shown that it is still very possible to start a business even without a degree from the Smeal College of Business. You get to be your own secretary and your own boss. Stephanie enjoys managing projects passively on her own time. She likes to feel she has things under control for herself. She has formed some partnerships with her competitors in order to tackle projects that would normally be too large for her to accomplish on her own. She believes in working advantageously.

Stephanie urges students to try and devote their time to just a few things. By doing this they will be able to put their whole heart and soul into what they are doing instead of being thinly spread out across several projects. One final piece of advice that Stephanie has for incoming and current students is to follow-up with professors, lecturers, and anyone else that you meet in a professional setting. When that extra step is taken, it makes a big impact in the eye of either the professor or the potential hiring manager. It shows maturity, growth, and a sense of devotion to what you’ve dedicated yourself to as a student. 

Just like Stephanie took a chance at starting her successful PR firm, do not be afraid to take some chances and see where life takes you.

Author: Lia O’Leary