Alumni Spotlight: Mary Grace Feldman

How has your career unfolded and how did participating in 21CL help prepare you for your next steps going to college, taking on a new leadership role in community/college and after?

I credit 21^st Century Leaders for sparking my interest in the communications industry. I grew up in Moultrie, a rural town in southwest Georgia. Many of the careers I saw from day to day were the people I interacted with – teachers, small business owners, government officials and more. One of the roles I did not see was marketing and communications professionals.

Attending the Turner Voices Youth Media Institute in the summer of 2017 was lifechanging for me. Not only did I network with leaders in the journalism field, but I also got to know Turner’s Corporate Social Responsibility team. I had no clue jobs like that even existed. I was excited about the possibility of turning my passion for serving others into a career. This led me to pursue a degree in public relations at the University of Georgia the following year. At UGA, I was immediately hooked on the communications industry.

While at the University of Georgia, I started working as a student for the Archway Partnership, a unit of Public Service and Outreach at UGA. In this role, I was combining my newfound passion for communication with solving locally-identified issues for counties across the state including my own. After graduating with a master’s degree in integrated advertising and public relations, I chose to stay in Public Service and Outreach at UGA as a digital media coordinator. I love knowing that the work I do is helping amplify the work UGA does across the state including in my own hometown.

Without 21CL, I truly believe I never would have pursued a career in public relations or thought of ways to combine a passion for service with a love for digital communication. 21CL led me to pursue internships in my chosen field throughout my senior year in high school and get a head start on gaining valuable professional experience before stepping foot on a college campus. I’m grateful for all the opportunities that came my way thanks to 21CL.

What’s your memorable or ‘aha’ moment during your time at 21CL? (Particular program, meeting a professional and diverse peer, speaking in public for the first time, etc.)

I think the ‘aha’ moment for me was meeting Carl Azuz at a networking dinner during my summer institute. He hosted CNN Student News, a show we watched daily in school. Meeting someone I saw as a “big name” in news and journalism truly made it click for me how incredible of an opportunity our summer institute was. It challenged me to network and meet all the speakers we crossed paths with throughout the week (and there were A LOT!). It’s amazing the number of opportunities 21CL manages to pack into a single week for the summer institutes, and I am so grateful to be a past participant (and volunteer when I can!).

Did 21CL assist you in developing a leadership style that makes you an effective leader? If so, how? 

21CL encouraged me to see myself as a leader. As a 17-year-old, I never would have considered myself a leader but 21CL helped me to change my perspective and see that I wasn’t becoming a future leader; I was a leader. This empowered me to pursue new opportunities with confidence. I pursued leadership roles in organizations I was a part of and even spoke up in meetings where I wasn’t the most experienced person in the room. I think this realization came for me through the Georgia Youth Leadership Awards when I received the award in 2018. Seeing the accomplishments of my peers and knowing that someone thought to nominate me for an award changed my mindset of myself and encouraged me to push myself out of my comfort zone as a leader.

Why do you believe programs like 21CL are important? And what advice would you give to a current or future student?

I think programs like 21CL are important to introduce students to new people and perspectives across the state and beyond. For me, it was introducing me to a career path I never thought possible, but for others, it’s meeting someone who grew up in an entirely different walk of life from them. Every time I go back to a 21CL event as a volunteer, I am amazed at the awesome students who are involved in this program. I think students who participate in programs like 21CL are set up for success in their future education and career paths.

If I could give current or future 21CL students advice, I would encourage them to take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way. Sign up for the summer institute. Volunteer to introduce a speaker. Find ways to be more involved or step out of your comfort zone. Most importantly, network! The students and professionals you meet in 21CL are key resources for you in the future. Stay connected with them throughout your time in 21CL and beyond.