Sara Waltemire is a senior University of Oregon student who recently won first place at the Zenith Awards for a public relations project she did for March for Babies. Being that we hold it down for the young people in the region I thought it was only fair that we reached out to her to learn a bit more about the victory.
Thanks for the time Sara!
Congratulations on the recent victory at the Zenith Awards. Can you tell us a little bit about the awards and your entry?
The Zenith Awards is a national public relations writing contest for undergraduate students. It is put on each year by the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication (what a name, right?) at University of Oklahoma. This year they had 220 admissions in seven categories. I won the Publication category for a brochure I made for March for Babies. I made it last winter when I was interning at March of Dimes. This internship basically consumed my life (in the best way), so when I was asked to create a brochure copy for an organization I decided to create one for the March for Babies walk I was working on. I’m actually thinking about pitching the organization on using my brochure because it provides a lot of information that most people don’t know about March for Babies. Hopefully they’ll consider adapting it for each of the sites in Oregon.
Did you pop bottles after you won?
Unfortunately I’m a few months shy of 21 so I didn’t pop any bottles. Deciding to enter for the Zenith Awards was a spur of the moment decision for me, so I was pretty shocked when I won. Honestly, the first thing I did was email the professor who recommended I apply. Sometimes I feel like Oregon doesn’t get the recognition it deserves on the East Coast, so I was glad to represent.
I saw they put your school as Oregon State… wtf!?
I emailed them immediately when I read that! As a proud Duck, I was pretty upset about that mix up. They said they would have it changed within the next few days; let’s hope!
How are you liking living in Eugene?
Eugene was a pretty cool city. A little small for my taste, but definitely has a fun vibe. I’m actually currently living in Portland working at a couple of internships. I’m loving Portland so far. I’ve made it a priority to try as many different food carts as I can while I’m here. There are a lot of cool neighborhoods that are fun to wander around too.
Favorite places to eat and/ or hang out?
I have two favorite places to eat in Eugene. For some reason, it seems like Eugene has the best bar food. I highly recommend Turtle’s; the buffalo chicken sandwich is phenomenal. Also, the best pizza in town is definitely from Mezza Luna. They have different slices all the time with delicious combinations. If you’re ever in Eugene, definitely check them out.
What year are you in school and what does your 5 year plan look like right now?
I’m a senior about to graduate in June. Right now I’m really unsure about the next step, but I know I want to move to Seattle. I fell in love with the city while working at Seattle Weekly last summer, and I can’t wait to get back. I have an interview with a technology start-up on Friday, so hopefully something will happen from there. If not, I’m really passionate about event planning and would love to find a job in that field. As nerve-wracking as it is, not knowing what the next step is seems somewhat exhilarating. So many things seem possible right now.
Where are you from originally?
I’m originally from Albuquerque, N.M. It’s a beautiful city, and I definitely miss the sunshine there. I’ve gotten a little more used to the rain here though.
Where can people find out more about you?
If people want to know more about me, they can check out my Twitter page at twitter.com/sarawaltemire or my LinkedIn profile at www.linkedin.com/in/swaltemire.
Closing thoughts?
I guess what was most interesting about winning this award for me is that you never know when something exciting is going to happen. As I had mentioned before, entering my brochure was a spur of the moment decision and I never expected to win. It might sound cheesy, but taking advantage of every opportunity that comes you way definitely proves to be worth it in the end.