By Lauren Lewandowski, C 06

From being the president of her senior class to working with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust marketing department, Saint Vincent College student Katie Romano has had a variety of valuable experiences during her academic career. A communication major, Ms. Romano plans to pursue a career in corporate communications, utilizing the talents she has acquired through her internships and work experience.  

Ms. Romano spent last summer as an intern for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust marketing department, a non-profit organization that works to develop, promote and provide financial support for the cultural district. The internship allowed her to integrate public relations with marketing and advertising, providing her the opportunity to apply a variety of skills learned in different areas of coursework.

The internship was especially significant to Ms. Romano because the performing arts have been a great part of her life since she was a child, when she was a part of a touring theater company.

Ms. Romano says of her internship, “It was an ideal experience, to be working to preserve something I care about. I assisted with special events such as ‘First Night,’ Pittsburgh’s largest New Year’s Eve party for families that over 20,000 people attended. As the assistant spokesperson, I had the opportunity to do a live radio interview for WQED and work with the media. I am very grateful to have been a part of such an extravagant, community building event.”

The summer after her sophomore year, Ms. Romano completed an internship with Saint Vincent College’s Public Relations Department. Ms. Romano says, “It has been a great experience to be a witness to what goes on, to see the challenges that Don Orlando, Public Relations Director, faces on a daily basis. It prepares me for both the taxing side of PR and the joys of its successes. It has given me great perspective on how a Public Relations Department should be run.”

Aside from her work with the College Public Relations Department, Ms. Romano is also the president of the senior class. She is in charge of senior class issues and events. In the next few weeks, she will be very busy preparing for “Senior Week” activities and commencement.

“We have planned our events so that the last year of college and the graduation experience will be memorable for both the seniors and their parents. The benefits in seeing seniors enjoy and reminisce about their Saint Vincent experiences makes the job well worth the time.

Ms. Romano adds, “Working with the Student Government Association has been a great leadership experience. The task of bridging the gap between students and administration has given me a practical situation that lends itself to the development of communication tactics. Working through these sorts of challenges has allowed me to tailor my skills for a career in communications.”

Ms. Romano also served as the director of Saint Vincent’s student-run theatre group, The Company, for three years. A lover of musical theater, she directed performances of “The Sound of Music,” “Into the Woods,” and “Children of Eden,” among others.

The amount of experience Ms. Romano has in the public relations field only accents her major focus of study, communication.

“I chose to be a communication major because I always saw myself working in that field, and I was always very interested in public relations. Communicating comes naturally to me; I’m very comfortable and happy working to improve it.”

A native of Adrian, Michigan, Ms. Romano was immediately attracted to Saint Vincent College when she first visited. “The values and community environment are essentially what influenced me to enroll at Saint Vincent. When I stepped on the campus, I felt like people here cared about one another. The faculty members develop real relationships with their students and take the time to get to know them.”

Upon graduating in May, Ms. Romano says, “I will take the community values instilled at Saint Vincent away with me. When transitioning from a college student to a corporate executive, it’s important to remember to treat people well, to value relationships and act with compassion. Saint Vincent has given me a strong moral foundation, and with it, I know I’ll be okay no matter where I end up in the future.”

Ms. Romano will be graduating from Saint Vincent with highest honors and dean’s list certificates for every semester. She has been recognized in Who’s Who Among American Colleges & Universities and is a member of Alpha Chi and the National Dean’s List.

After graduation, Ms. Romano will begin working for Medrad, a worldwide medical manufacturing company located near Pittsburgh, as their internal communications specialist. Medrad was the 2003 recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which is the highest business excellence award presented by the United States Department of Commerce. Eventually, she aspires to teach in the communication field at the collegiate level.

Ms. Romano is a graduate of Adrian High School in Adrian, Michigan. She is the daughter of Al Romano and Beth Myers.