<p><span class="p-body">Newly graduated from Lafayette College with a degree in Government and Law in hand, Uma Surampudi realized that her future was not going to be in law. Instead, Uma pictured herself in a career where she could communicate with people, whether through writing or other means. That is when Surampudi’s sister suggested continuing her educational career by pursuing a masters in communications. NYU’s MS in Public Relations and Corporate Communication program was the perfect one for her. The only problem? Surampudi was afraid of moving to New York City.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body"><b><span class="p-body-large">The Best Thing for Growth</span></b></span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Hailing from Somerset, New Jersey, Surampudi was no stranger to the city, yet she was not keen on moving here. “I hated the idea of being in a city but after looking at the PRCC program specifically, it was the best thing that I could do to make sure I grew,” she said. “New York teaches us as both a subject that we study and the source of hands-on experience.” Once fully immersed in the program and in the city full time, Surampudi quickly overcame her fears and was able to enjoy learning and growing in the program.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body"><b><span class="p-body-large">A Surprising Learning Experience</span></b></span></p> <p><span class="p-body">While Surampudi already had some experience working in communications thanks to an internship at Saks Fifth Avenue, she was surprised to learn that there was a lot more to public relations as she started going through the program. “I thought that some of the classes were going to be things that were common knowledge,” she said. “It’s the professors who make this the best experience it can possibly be because they are experts in their field.” The benefit of going beyond what she had experienced with the guidance and mentorship of her professors proved to be invaluable in Surampudi’s time in PRCC. “I couldn’t replicate it if I were in any other program.”</span></p> <p><span class="p-body"><b><span class="p-body-large">Multicultural Curriculums</span></b></span></p> <p><span class="p-body">No program is created equal. What makes PRCC stand out from other similar programs is its unique approach to multicultural and global learning in its curriculum. “New York is the perfect place for a program that emphasizes multicultural and global communications – which is something that is lacking in a lot of general communications programs,” she said. “There is no real option to understand global and multicultural communications from a corporate standpoint which a lot of people are interested in going into and something the PRCC program does well.”</span></p> <p><span class="p-body"><b><span class="p-body-large">“This is the Place to Learn”</span></b></span></p> <p><span class="p-body">NYU prides itself on being a premier learning center for all students in the U.S. and around the world, which gives students the opportunity to learn from the institution and from peers. This is an advantage to NYU learners as they prepare to enter a global workforce where working and collaborating alongside people with an array of backgrounds and experiences. “There are a plethora of different characteristics and personalities (in New York),” she said. “As a professional, you want to be able to tell yourself that you can work with multiple, different personalities because you are going to have to. This is the only place where I saw myself growing out of my comfort level; this is the place to learn.”</span></p>