CAPITOL MEDIA STAR

In only two and a half years since graduation, Kristin Wilson ('02) has capitalized on several media and public relations experiences in the nation's capital. As the new communications associate for the Association of Public Television Stations, Wilson is spokesperson and media contact for approximately 160 stations across the United States.

Her responsibilities allow her to work in the two fields she loves the most, television and public relations. "It seems that at one point or another I am doing everything that falls under the umbrella of communications, whether it is talking to the media, developing community outreach initiatives for local stations or writing about the latest FCC initiatives and communications policy on Capitol Hill," Wilson says.

The APTS team will also depend on Wilson to help convey its message to Congress on critical survival issues before representatives complete their first reauthorization of the Public Broadcasting Act. "Kristin's results-driven approach makes her a significant asset to our organization," says APTS president John Lawson.

Prior to joining APTS, Wilson was a public affairs coordinator at the technology public relations consultancy, Brodeur Worldwide, where she was responsible for national media outreach and materials development for promotions and marketing of client initiatives. At JMU, the English and sociology major was a corporate communications intern for Black Entertainment Television, where she planned the media outreach for the first BET Awards.

In addition to her full-time job, Wilson interns at Washington's WTTG Fox 5 News. "I still crave specialized knowledge," she says. Her passion and thirst for knowledge led her to enroll in Johns Hopkins University. "Graduate school is not just getting another degree, it's career development. Classroom training keeps me up-to-date with the current trends and on new perspectives in the communications field." Wilson will earn a master's degree in communication with a concentration in news and public information in May.

Full-time job, internship and grad school -- too much to handle? "I might have a lot of experience to be so young, but it's only because I've seized every opportunity that has ever been placed before me," says Wilson.

-- Lisa Freedman ('05)