Meet the Team

Amber Walkowiak

Director

Hi I'm Amber and I'm a fourth year Public Relations major. I fell into PR one winter after I realized that business was just not for me. I would much rather work with people than numbers, and so I had to find another career path. I stumbled across the Web site for the School of Communications, and was instantly drawn to PR. As a little kid, I'd always dreamed of being the high profile woman in the power suit who spoke at press conferences and dealt with media when things went wrong. What I didn't realize was that such a career actually had a major equivalent. Add to that a natural proficiency for writing and I had found my home.

I originally joined Texas Tower PR in order to gain internship experience without having an official internship. Texas Tower has already given me a lot of insight into the world of PR and helped me forge contacts with several people that I wouldn't have had reason to talk to otherwise. I strongly believe that my work with Texas Tower played a key role in landing my first internship and plan to continue working with Tower through graduation. Feel free to look me up on LinkedIn or Twitter!

Lauren Wong

Creative Officer

Hi, I'm Lauren, and I'm a fourth year public relations student. For my profession, I have always known that I wanted to work with people, as well as use my creativity for impact and my writing skills to build communication. Public relations involves all of those components, and I'm loving all that I've learned so far. Last semester, I interned in media relations, and I'm excited to combine my knowledge with the different aspects of PR.

I joined Texas Tower PR because I wanted to broaden my understanding and experience in different types of campaigns. I believe experience is the best way to learn, and the next best way is from listening to other's experiences. I like how Texas Tower PR comes together as a team, not only to work together in campaigns, but also to share professional and life experiences together. The skills that I'll gain from Texas Tower PR about teamwork and communicating are skills that I will carry into my career in public relations.

Yoli Borrego

Information Officer

My name is Yolanda Borrego and I am a third year public relations student. I became interested in public relations as a junior in high school and chose the University of Texas because of its excellent program. I transferred to the university this past fall and have already experienced the wonderful opportunities that come with being a UT public relations student. This summer I will be attending a public relations study abroad program in Dublin, Ireland and then hope to take on an internship the following year. I am eager to start working with Texas Tower PR and our clients for the semester.

Jordan Langdon

Communications Officer

Hi, I'm Jordan and I'm a third year Public Relations major. I've switched majors several times here at UT and have picked PR because I'm passionate about working with people and working in business. I also have a passion for persuading, and I feel that PR will allow me to do all of these things. I joined Texas Tower PR because I wanted to get involved in everything on campus available to do with PR, and because I think working with real campaigns, real contacts, and other PR students is invaluable for a PR student.

Texas Tower PR has been the best way for me to develop my PR skills outside the classroom. I have not yet had an internship, and I feel that Texas Tower PR will be one of the best things I have done to prepare me for that experience. I hold the position of Information Officer, which means I'm responsible for tying up loose ends -- sending out e-mails, taking minutes at meetings and keeping members updated with all the current activities of Texas Tower PR. I'm the best person to contact with any general questions about Tower, how to join, when our meetings are, or what our campaigns are like. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions.

Kristin Turner

Social Media Officer

I am Kristin Turner and I am a senior at the University of Texas. I began in philosophy and really enjoy my coursework, but I felt that my analytic and creative efforts lacked reward in a highly academic setting. I think liberal arts is a great foundation, but my career goals are better served in a communications or business function.

As a member of other organizations I could see communications potential, and with time I realized these were PR opportunities. Through Intellectual Entreprenuership, a doctoral student mentor program, I made my way into the PR program.

My first semester in the program I joined Texas Tower PR and it has been essential to developing my PR skills. It has been my pleasure to work on a good sportsmanship campaign called "Texas Fans Make Us Proud" for about two years. I have had the opportunity to bridge knowledge gained in the classroom with actual public relations experience. I have helped with promotions, event planning, media lists, focus groups and social media campaigns. Texas Tower PR is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to gain the initial experience that most internships require.

I am currently finishing my philosophy degree, interning at Apogee Search and preparing to study abroad.

Sarah Barnes

Account Executive - Texas Exes

Hi! I'm Sarah and I am a senior Public Relations major. I came to the University of Texas because of the Public Relations program. I'm not sure where exactly I'll end up in the field, but I've known I've wanted to do PR since high school. I love it because it is a discipline that can be applied to anything you're passionate about. I am currently an Account Executive for the "Texas Fans Make Us Proud" campaign with the Texas Exes. It's been great working with them and I'm excited to keep working on it in the future!

Lisa Johnson

Account Executive - Candlelight Ranch

Hi everyone, I'm Lisa and I am currently a fourth year Public Relations student. After spending my first three years at UT as a magazine journalism major, I decided that the "other side" of the media was a much better fit for me. I wanted a much more creative outlet to communicate and express ideas with others, and public relations fit the bill. I've always been a "behind the scenes" kind of person, so developing campaign strategies and special events are my favorite elements of the industry. I am currently one of Texas Tower PR's account executives working with Texas Exes, UT's alumni association. We assisted with the organization and promotion of their campus-wide student video contest "Texas Fans Take Ten," which was featured in The Daily Texan and ultimately crowned a winner in September. I also serve as a liaison between Texas Tower PR and Texas Exes, managing communication back and forth between the organizations.

I am also involved with The Texas Union Student Events Center, where I currently serve as the executive chair of the Orange and White Ball, the university's annual formal gala. With the experience I've gained at both Texas Tower and with Orange & White Ball, I hope to eventually plan special events as part of an organization's overall image management strategy. Feel free to look for me on Twitter!

Julia Alaniz

Account Executive - Candlelight Ranch

Hi, I'm Julia. I'm a senior in Public Relations as well as the Business Foundations Program. I became interested in PR as a high school senior. At the time, I was the Editor-in-Chief of my school newspaper and torn between majoring in Journalism and Business. Public Relations seemed to match what I was looking for. I've held an internship with a non-profit organization in South Austin called Ventana Del Soul. I contributed to a new Web site for the organization and handled much of their eMarketing. While I learned a lot and made some great contacts, I realized that I wanted to explore public relations more, not marketing. I joined Texas Tower PR because I felt like it was an opportunity to gain valuable experience by applying what I'm learning in the classroom, and it would prepare me for my next internship. Currently I'm an Account Executive for the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas. Aside from the position, I help out with our other campaigns and handle our website along with Amber. Feel free to look me up on LinkedIn.

Rachael Genson

Account Executive - Texas Exes

Hi everyone. My name is Rachael Genson and I am a sophomore public relations student at the University of Texas at Austin. As a kid, I had always heard about PR, but I never really knew what it was all about until I came to college. But, the PR field quickly found a place in my heart and I am finding more and more reasons to love it everyday. I joined Texas Tower PR to get a better understanding of PR outside of the classroom. I feel that the organization has been a useful tool in helping me to build my knowledge of public relations and all that it has to offer. Seeing as how I have not yet held an internship, working with the Texas Exes and the "Texas Fans Makes Us Proud" campiagn have been invauluable experiences for me. I hope that by continuing my involvement with Texas Tower PR, I will become more and more well-rounded and knowledgeable about my future career.

Matt Koller

Account Executive - Theatre Action Project

Hi, I'm Matt Koller and I am a third year public relations major. I honestly stumbled upon PR as a major more out of curiosity than passion, but the passion has grown as I have come to see what this field can offer. I love interacting with people, developing the relationships needed to be successful in PR and working in depth with campaigns that I can associate myself with. This is my first semester with Tower PR and I am incredibly excited to see what we can achieve as a team and the experiences I will gain throughout the semester. This is the first chance I have had to be actively involved in PR outside of just learning about it in the classroom, so I hope to take full advantage of this opportunity and gain as much experience as I can out of it. I can't wait to work with other PR students that are as excited as I am, and I am sure you will be seeing results of our campaigns soon!

Liz Kelley

Account Executive - Theatre Action Project

After finally getting into the School of Communications because of a few advising problems, I am a junior Public Relations major!! I am a very outgoing, creative, artistic, and motivated person. I cannot wait to see what Tower PR can teach me this semester and hope to gain experience through real life accounts like Best Buddies and Texas Exes. I hope to contribute with my creativity and willingness to be open and friendly with people. Eventually, after getting my masters degree, my focus will be on entertainment PR. My future goal is to live in a big city for a few years after I graduate and continue learning all there is to know about public relations through a job with one of the major firms.