Introduction to a Future Olivia Pope*
Hi everyone, my name is Demery Pennington (pronounced like Emery, but with a D)!
I am a junior public relations student at the University of Oklahoma. For those that don't know, PR helps companies keep a positive reputation, helps companies rely on ethics in decision-making and helps companies listen and and adapt to the needs of the public(s) that the company affects. I love PR because, as a very social person, it is very relationship and communication driven.
Although I was born in the random place that is Helena, Montana, I have grown up most of my life in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here, I attended Union High School and met some of my very best friends. Growing up, gymnastics and cheerleading had a huge impact on my life. After doing gymnastics from age 3-14, I switched over to cheerleading in high school. My senior year I cheered competitively with both Union Varsity Cheer and Twist & Shout Diamonds, which took up a ton of my time (click on that link to see my competitive cheer routine at the World Championships). My cheer career ended after cheering my freshman year here at the University of Oklahoma! Unfortunately, almost all of my high school friends attend OSU (ew, I know), but I can thank my sorority Pi Phi for introducing me to my best college friends. I currently live with four girls, and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Over this Christmas Break, I traveled to Key West, Florida. Key West is not the most popular destination to visit in Florida, though I believe it's one of the prettiest. The Florida Keys are a couple hours away from Miami.
As for pastimes, my favorite thing to do is travel. Read my favorite places blog to hear about two of my favorite places destinations! Another one of my favorite things to do is watch Netflix (duh!) and a few of my favorite shows on Netflix are Scandal, Breaking Bad, 90210 and Gossip Girl, of course.
Post graduation, I plan to get a job as a public relations professional in a large city like Dallas, Denver or Chicago. After a few years of learning on the job, I eventually want to live and do PR in London, England for at least a year.
I believe in optimism, positivity and laughing often. I consider myself a very hard worker and great time manager -- and I plan to go on my fifth straight semester of receiving a 4.0 GPA (which is my biggest accomplishment from last semester). I look forward to meeting everyone in this class!
In reference to the title:
* Olivia Pope is the main character on Scandal, one of my favorite Netflix shows. Olivia Pope is extremely good at her job as a public relations/reputation manager, or "fixer" as they call her, and I'd love to be as fierce as her in the PR workplace!
I am a junior public relations student at the University of Oklahoma. For those that don't know, PR helps companies keep a positive reputation, helps companies rely on ethics in decision-making and helps companies listen and and adapt to the needs of the public(s) that the company affects. I love PR because, as a very social person, it is very relationship and communication driven.
Although I was born in the random place that is Helena, Montana, I have grown up most of my life in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here, I attended Union High School and met some of my very best friends. Growing up, gymnastics and cheerleading had a huge impact on my life. After doing gymnastics from age 3-14, I switched over to cheerleading in high school. My senior year I cheered competitively with both Union Varsity Cheer and Twist & Shout Diamonds, which took up a ton of my time (click on that link to see my competitive cheer routine at the World Championships). My cheer career ended after cheering my freshman year here at the University of Oklahoma! Unfortunately, almost all of my high school friends attend OSU (ew, I know), but I can thank my sorority Pi Phi for introducing me to my best college friends. I currently live with four girls, and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Here is a photo of my roommates and I!
From left to right: Christina, me, Darrian, Beverlee and Kennedy.
Over this Christmas Break, I traveled to Key West, Florida. Key West is not the most popular destination to visit in Florida, though I believe it's one of the prettiest. The Florida Keys are a couple hours away from Miami.
Here is a picture I took of the morning sunrise on Christmas Day in Key West, Florida.
As for pastimes, my favorite thing to do is travel. Read my favorite places blog to hear about two of my favorite places destinations! Another one of my favorite things to do is watch Netflix (duh!) and a few of my favorite shows on Netflix are Scandal, Breaking Bad, 90210 and Gossip Girl, of course.
Post graduation, I plan to get a job as a public relations professional in a large city like Dallas, Denver or Chicago. After a few years of learning on the job, I eventually want to live and do PR in London, England for at least a year.
I believe in optimism, positivity and laughing often. I consider myself a very hard worker and great time manager -- and I plan to go on my fifth straight semester of receiving a 4.0 GPA (which is my biggest accomplishment from last semester). I look forward to meeting everyone in this class!
In reference to the title:
* Olivia Pope is the main character on Scandal, one of my favorite Netflix shows. Olivia Pope is extremely good at her job as a public relations/reputation manager, or "fixer" as they call her, and I'd love to be as fierce as her in the PR workplace!
Oh, this is wonderful, Demery: maybe you can do an Olivia Pope type of Storybook project for this class... she could be transported back in time to "Merrie Olde England" or the France of Margaret of Navarre (her Heptameron is on the reading list for class: The Heptameron of Margaret, Queen of Navarre) or something like that, something totally wild that you dream up to bring her into contact with myths and legends, using her PR skills to cope with the weird situation in which she finds herself. The Sheriff of Nottingham could definitely use some good PR ha ha. Anyway, the whole PR angle will be something fun for you to play with this semester; maybe you can do a PR-inspired story for your first storytelling experiment in Week 2! There have been some really fun Gossip Girl projects in class, but never Olivia Pope! At least... not yet! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Demery!
ReplyDeletePublic Relations is much needed for every company and that's awesome that you have had 5 straight semester with a 4.0 GPA. I wish I could say the same for me haha. I love Key West, I grew up going there as a kid. It is a beautiful place. My twin sister did cheer as well so I know that must have taken up a lot of your time. And yes who doesn't like watching Netflix and especially breaking bad!
Hi Demery!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how we ended up commenting on each others blogs. I'm jealous that you had the opportunity to spend Christmas in the Keys, it looks like it was beautiful there. You really seem like you have an idea of what you wanna do after graduation and have been working hard to achieve it. You will be very successful in your public relations career and I wish you all the best luck in your 5th straight 4.0 semester! (I know you will achieve this :) )
Hi Demery! I love Scandal and was so excited to see you post title. I'm still catching up so no spoilers, okay? And I love London! It would be great to end up there but my sister has already called it, and she does have the boyfriend who lives there so that seems fair. I'm from Tulsa too! It's weird how there's so many people from T-Town in this class!
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ReplyDeleteHi Demery! Its nice to meet a fellow Tulsan! I thought it was really interesting to read about your public relations major since, as a science major, I don't meet many non science majors. I can totally relate to how gymnastics took up a ton of your time growing up as tennis was the same way for me. I'm also really glad to see you like traveling and the beaches as well! I haven't visited the Florida Keys but I plan to some day as they look beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHey Demery, great introduction! I feel like PR has to be a really exciting field right now, with everything happening on social media platforms. I have a similar experience with the transition from high school to college as you did with cheer. I tried keeping up with speech and debate but after freshman year it had to go... Just wasn't the same! I've never been to Key West, but your picture makes me want to!
ReplyDeleteHey Dem! I didn't know you were in this class too! You sound so passionate about PR and I know you will have lots of success with it after college! I have no idea how all star cheerleading is even possible. The routines at worlds every year are SO HARD! It's so cool to say you competed and had success at the world championships! I love traveling but have never been to Key West; I guess I'll have to put it on the list of places I want to go! I look forward to reading your posts this semester! PPL & mine!
ReplyDeleteHi Demery. That's pretty cool that you were born in Montana, I have some extended family up there, but I've never visited them, so I don't know what it's like. That's a really impressive GPA you've got there. I'm impressed that you've been able to maintain a perfect 4 point for that long, and I wish you good luck in continuing that awesome trend, even though I'm sure you won't need it.
ReplyDeleteHey Demery! It looks like you're super involved, so that's pretty awesome. I think it's super cool that you did gymnastics; I love watching gymnastics because it always looks amazing and I can't believe some of the flips and turns people do in that sport! Also, congratulations on keeping a 4.0 GPA! That is a really great accomplishment :) good luck with the rest of this semester
ReplyDeleteHi Demery!
ReplyDeleteThat's cool that you grew up in Tulsa! I am from Owasso, and went to Owasso High School so we were big rivals haha. I never did gymnastics or cheer, (I dance and do pom) but I have always had such an admiration for it! I was not made to be flipped upside down. I too like watching netflix ( who doesn't) and Breaking Bad is one of my faves! I'm looking forward to following your blog!
Hey Demery! That video of your cheer routine was incredible! I did cheerleading when I was like...7, haha. It's very impressive how long you did both gymnastics and cheering. Also incredibly impressive, your 4.0 GPA! I (finally) got a 4.0 Fall 2017, so I am in awe of your hard work and dedication that has gotten you 5 in a row! Can't wait to see what you write this semester.
ReplyDeleteDemery,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the 4.0! That's really impressive. I also love the aspirations to be Olivia... she is such a powerful character, and I love that she's a fierce woman of color portrayed as having her own incredible sense of agency and power. I also appreciate the description of what exactly a major in PR entails... I have a few friends in the program, but have never really understood what PR is.
Hi Demery, I am glad that I made it into your introduction. I did not realize that I haven't commented on it yet! We have a lot in common, which is a good thing because we are roommates. That picture of the sunrise is truly amazing and makes me super excited for spring break! I hope you are keeping up with your school work this semester. I know you are working hard for that 4.0!
ReplyDeleteHi Demery. That's pretty cool that you were born in Montana, I have some extended family up there, but I've never visited them, so I don't know what it's like. That's a really impressive GPA you've got there. I'm impressed that you've been able to maintain a perfect 4 point for that long, and I wish you good luck in continuing that awesome trend, even though I'm sure you won't need it.
ReplyDeleteHey Demery! Nice intro page! I am impressed that you are a cheerleader. Impressive GPA also. I am very jealous. keep up the good work and best of luck to you!
ReplyDeleteHi Demery,
ReplyDeleteI think positivity and optimism are really important things to have in life. The director of my current internship has a saying, "Radiate possibilities" and it has really resonated with me. It's awesome that you have such definitive goals in your life. I personally have never been to London, but it is definitely on my bucket list.
Keep up the good work!
Hey Demery!
ReplyDeleteIt's great to find a fellow Tulsan! I actually went to Union from pre-K through sixth grade and then transferred to Jenks (traitor, I know!). I actually recently discovered how freaking addicting Gossip Girl is! A lot of my friends watched it when it was first on, but I never tried it until this last week! I was sick in bed the first few days of spring break and started watching it. I think I made it through at least a season and a half this last week!
You sound like you're very outgoing and easy to get along with, so I bet you'll do amazing in public relations. Good luck to you and congrats on your grades! That's not an easy task!
Hi Demery! Congratulations it sounds like you are really making the most of college so far which is really important, some of my favorite memories are from my college experiences. I love that you already have a passion for traveling and it sounds like you have some pretty hefty travel goals which is awesome! I can't wait to read some of your stories!
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