Caroline Shanley
2019 Graduate, Majors: Political Science and Public Relations & Strategic Communication, Minor: History
Caroline Shanley’s position as a Digital Strategist in Washington, D.C. is the ideal job for the 2019 graduate. With a double major in political science and public relations, her interdisciplinary degree gave her a competitive edge to jump start her career.
She describes loving her job because “it is fast-paced, deals directly with the news cycle, and is a perfect marriage between my degrees.”
Internships were another key to Caroline’s early success as a young professional. She completed an internship every summer of undergrad to gain coveted real-life work experience, apply classroom learning, and develop and refine essential skills.
The list of prestigious internships she completed include National Public Radio in Washington, D.C., the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, and the Children’s Museum in Indianapolis.
“Internships allowed me to practice the broad range of skills I was learning in school and to gain important new ones. It is so different than the classroom. There’s no syllabus! You learn by doing, which is a great experience.”
Caroline works for Mothership Strategies, a Democratic consulting firm that specializes in small-dollar, grassroots fundraising. She writes and distributes fundraising emails on behalf of Democratic causes and continually mines the news media for important content. Her knowledge of political science and history (her minor) helps her understand the complexity of issues, while studying strategic communication has honed her writing skills.
In addition to academics and internships, Caroline was a busy Boilermaker engaged in a variety of activities. She was a Purdue Music Organization (PMO) Purduette for four years and performed with the Crazy Monkeys, a student-run comedy improv group. Her leadership positions included being a Dean’s Ambassador for the College of Liberal Arts and a member of the Student Life Advisory Council.
She attributes her academic success to making extra-curriculars a priority and encourages new students to follow suit. “Take a break from classes and do something totally just for fun. There’s so much to do on campus. Find your thing and go all in.”
Caroline was also a member of Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA), the political science national honor society. A highlight was traveling to Washington, D.C. with fellow PSA members the weekend of the 2016 Presidential Inauguration. They spent one day watching President Trump get sworn into office, and the next day at the Women’s March. Attending the historic back-to-back events was “an unforgettable experience,” one of so many she enjoyed as a Purdue student.