Beyond the comfort zone and into the award zone

By Hannah Stewart (Comm'19)
Photo by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm’18)

As a corporate marketing manager, Bailey DeCamillis knows talent when she sees it. And Sarah Carleo, who took her social media strategies class, had plenty of talent.

“She is a rock star who is going places with her career—and it’s because of all the hard work she’s put in,” said DeCamillis (StratComm’18), who works for software developer Ambasador. “No matter how well she does, she’s always looking for how she can be better, do more, keep learning.”

Carleo—a senior strategic communication major focusing on public relations—is graduating at the top of her class, but she hasn’t just been a standout in the classroom. She completed two internships and served as an executive member of a student organization, and graduates with a job already lined up for the fall.

Her dedication in and beyond the classroom has paid off: She will graduate as the William W. White Outstanding Senior, an award given to the student with the highest GPA in the College of Media, Communication and Information.

“This is an exciting moment. My family and friends are all really happy for me and impressed,” she said. “It’s such an honor to be recognized for all the hard work that goes into maintaining a 4.0 GPA.”

For Carleo, graduating is more than a stepping stone into the professional world. It represents growth, connection and passion.

But while coming to CU Boulder was “an easy choice” for the Broomfield native—she wanted to stay close to family—choosing a major was not. Carleo wanted to try everything, and enjoyed exploring different degree paths. After enrolling in an introductory public relations and advertising class with Erin Willis, everything seemed to click.

“I love how connection-based public relations is. That’s always been something important to me,” Carleo said. “It’s fun to be creative, too.”

According to Willis, Carleo’s success comes from her passion to learn.

“Once she discovered PR, I really saw her getting involved, trying to get more experience, excelling in the classroom and taking charge in team projects,” said Willis, an associate professor in APRD.

Mentorship matters

One way Carleo got involved in the campus community was through CU Boulder’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, where she quickly rose in the ranks from member to secretary. She is now co-director of social media.

“Something else I love about PR is that you’re working in a ton of different industries and getting to become an expert on various subjects,” she said.

Through PRSSA, she’s been able to get insider knowledge on the industry. That comes from the various guest speakers who come to meetings and other opportunities to connect with and mentor students in the organization.

One example is PRSSA’s Shadow Week, where students pair up with professionals for an up-close look at challenges and opportunities in the industry. 

Carleo has participated in the annual networking opportunity for the past three years, and was most recently partnered with Jane Dvorak, a public relations professional based in Colorado. She works with local PRSSA chapters and frequently hires CU students as interns.

“Jane has been a guest speaker in some of my classes, and a lot of my friends have interned with her,” she said. “It was really cool to finally be able to talk to her, because she was really honest with me about working in an agency versus in house—which is something I’ve been figuring out.”

As someone who values both connection and service, the networking and internship opportunities Carleo has had through CMCI have been key to her success. Whether she’s been finding her niche in public relations or developing her public speaking and leadership skills, she said her professors have created a collaborative, hands-on environment that allowed her to thrive.

“CU has a great group of people who are always willing to mentor you, and CMCI’s great because there are so many different resources,” Carleo said.

For example, she said, DeCamillis was incredibly helpful along the way—not just in class, but with Carleo’s internship-turned-job.

“She helped me decide between Next PR and another internship offer I had,” Carleo said. “She’s always willing to answer questions—and she’s a big advocate for salary negotiation, so she’s helped me with that.

Over her three-month internship with Next PR, Carleo worked on five different accounts, including a nonprofit, and even helped the team create materials for the company to promote itself. In the fall, she’ll be joining the agency full time as a public relations assistant.

“My time at CU has been a tool to stretch myself and step beyond my comfort zone, and I think I’ll carry a lot of that in the future,” she said. “It’s sad to be done with my journey here, but it’s exciting to discover what’s next.”