Seneca Alumni

Inspiration, Community and Ambition: Life as a Seneca Alumna

In September, standing before a room of determined students in only their third week of class, Portia-Marie Siegal gives an inspiring speech to the next class of Seneca’s Public Relations-Corporate Communications (PRCC) program graduates.

With an undergraduate degree in communications from York University, the next natural step for Portia was the PRCC program at Seneca. After graduating in 2018, she entered Boston University’s Master of Science in Public Relations program. Attributable to one of the countless advantages of being a Seneca alumna, Portia only studied two semesters at Boston University rather than three, as a handful of her PRCC credits contributed to her Masters. When reflecting on her graduate degree, Portia acknowledges the PRCC programs role in her success and maintains that its gruelling workload made her time in Boston a breeze.

“Take everything you do here, and take it seriously. Take every opportunity. Use it for your portfolio,” Portia advises the students, “Having your name searchable is so important.” As students eagerly listen to Portia’s tips on how to thrive in the next eight months, she discusses the importance of punctuality, networking and emotional intelligence. After her speech, I get a moment to interview her further on her experiences at Seneca and she emphasizes the value in classmate relations. Most of her colleagues still keep in touch and have succeeded in the Public Relations field – a typical Seneca alumni experience. Seneca graduates have a sense of community they know they can look to for nostalgia and networking.

For now, Portia is back in Toronto. She says the global network of public relations is yielding her interest towards England, where she’d plan to work at PR agency. As an educated and driven young woman, it is no surprise that Portia is looking to bring her talents international. The Seneca community is proud to have Portia-Marie Siegal representing us on a national level.

Lana Rosenberg is a current PRCC student and a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University. Lana is a driven young woman who intends to work in corporate public relations this spring.

Lana and Portia-Marie
Pictured: Lana Rosenberg and Portia-Marie Siegal standing in front of the Boston University banner.