Major: Communications (Public Relations)
Kristi Wolzmuth Staley
Kristi Staley graduated from Cal Lutheran in May 2006 and didn’t waste anytime in getting a job, “I graduated on Saturday and went to work on Monday!” Staley is a public affairs specialist for Kratos Defense, a defense contractor who assists the U.S. Navy with public relations.
Staley declared her communication major as a freshman because of her “voracious appetite for the news.” Staley said, “I’ve always been plugged in to current events. What fascinates me as much as the news stories themselves is what goes on behind the scenes to produce them. I always knew it was a process I had to be a part of.”
Staley chose public relations as her emphasis and acknowledges that those specialized PR classes gave her “a great head start for [her] career, providing [her] with tremendous insight and skills that allowed [her] to hit the ground running.”
Staley seriously considered declaring a minor in art. However, she found that Cal Lutheran’s communication program enabled her to “integrate [her] passion for art, without having to take on a minor,” which allowed her to devote more time to internships. In fact, Staley did three internships while she was a student at Cal Lutheran, and she claims “it made a big difference when it came time to interview for jobs.”
“My biggest advice to current or prospective students is to do as many internships as you can — don’t just do one, and don’t wait until your senior year.”
