Christy Huggins

Why did you choose the Public Relations (MS) program?
I chose this COM PR program because I knew I wanted to go into a very competitive field (sports) and I thought the experience, connections, and degree I'd earn from a reputable program like BU's could be the difference for me as I tried to break into sports.

How did your time at COM help prepare you for your life post-COM?
Because I was working 30+ hours a week, I didn't have time for a ton of extracurriculars, but I did participate in multiple different TA and grad assistant programs. I was a COM 101 TA for two semesters, and was as a grader and graduate assistant for Professor Steve Quigley for two semesters. Both experiences really gave me an appreciation for quality of education the BU COM school is for undergraduates, and were really interesting introductions to the field of teaching -- something I had never really considered pursuing. All three roles ended up being invaluable experiences a few years after graduation when Professor Dottie Clark asked me to join the COM team as an adjunct lecturer teaching Writing for Communication to sophomores and juniors, which I did for four years. It was certainly one of the most challenging and out-of-my-comfort zone experiences I've had, but it was also one of the most interesting and eye-opening.

Another of the most impactful parts of my time at BU was the late Professor Jack Falla. Jack was a legend in the Boston sports journalism world and one of the best teachers I've ever had. From the fact that he scheduled his classes at 8am because you needed to know how to "play hurt" to the spot-on, invaluable feedback be provided on assignments to the world-class sports journalists he brought to class weekly, his classes provided some of the most real-world experience I've ever gotten in a classroom -- not to mention the true mentorship he provided.

What have you been up to since you graduated?
Starting during my time at BU, I spent 8 years working for the New England Patriots in their media relations department. A few years in, I became the team's first social media manager as social media was just starting to become the powerful force it is today, and I was lucky enough to be able to shape the team's presence and help grow the social following from about 100k when I started to 10 million when I left in 2015. I produced nearly 100% of the content coming out of the team's accounts, was on the sideline for hundred of games, travelled to almost every stadium in the country, and worked numerous Super Bowls (including a Patriots win in 2015!) during my time with the team. While the schedule was truly grueling, it was one of the most rewarding experience of my life.

In 2015, I moved from Boston to San Francisco and ended up taking a senior social media manager role with Eventbrite, where I've been for almost two years now. It's obviously still a social media position, but it's about as different as it could possibly be. The target audience, content, strategy, schedule, platforms, and virtually every other aspect is different and it's given me some great experience in the "real world" of social media.

Can you talk about your current position? How did you choose it? What makes it exciting?
In all honesty, my current role isn't as exciting day to day as my past role with the Patriots was, but it's a totally different type of social media and a drastically different working environment. I'm at a Silicon Valley startup in the heart of San Francisco; it's fast-paced, constantly changing, and it's it's given me a chance to see the inner-working of a business like I never have before. I've gained much more well-rounded experience in the social and marketing worlds through my diverse, cross-functional responsibilities, and am now much more equipped to take on higher level leadership roles. Plus the SF focus on work-life balance is a pretty nice change of pace, especially coming from the sports world.

What advice would you give to prospective students considering the Public Relations (MS) program?
Whether you're just starting college or graduating with a Master's, my advice is the same: Go out there and get some experience, not matter how you have to do it. Volunteer your time. Take advantage of any connections you have. Get outside your comfort zone. Don't be afraid to cold call.
I got my initial internship with the Patriots by essentially cold calling my future boss based on a referral from a friend of a friend of friend, and my hourly rate barely covered the gas and tolls driving to Foxboro. I was a huge sports fan, but knew very little about the NFL. But eight years later, I was live tweeting games and travelling across the country with the team. It was an amazing (and exhausting) time in my life, and I owe it all to taking a chance that was certainly outside my comfort zone.

Headshot credit: David Silverman Photography