Air Force veteran earns advertising and PR degree
After switching from air traffic control to public affairs, Caitlin Russell steered her career course to Carolina’s journalism school.
When Caitlin Russell joined the Air Force after high school, she didn’t have an end goal or career in mind.
“Initially I was doing air traffic control, which is something I quickly realized was not a career for me,” Russell said.
Instead, she discovered she had a passion for telling stories. Russell fell in love with the creative side of the Air Force when she joined the public affairs team, something that inspired her to grow her expertise. That led her to UNC-Chapel Hill and the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media.
In December, she will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations plus a wealth of experience coordinating events as vice president of Carolina’s chapter of Student Veterans of America.
Russell felt Carolina was the best place to take the next step in her career. “I had never actually been to North Carolina before I started going to school here,” she said. “But I knew it was a school that offered what I wanted to pursue in my career, and I also knew it was a military-friendly school.”
As she nears graduation, Russell is still hard at work for SVA, spending most of her days alongside her canine partner Lumen — a lab-pit bull mix — in the Carolina Veterans Resource Center. There she reaches out to fellow student veterans and plans activities like the 9/11 stair climb and the annual Veterans Week events. She also volunteers with organizations like Habitat for Humanity.
“On top of this, I’m doing five classes right now, so my brain’s going a little haywire,” Russell said.
Russell’s journey with SVA began soon after arriving at Carolina. She was quick to make connections with fellow veterans on campus, frequently visiting the CVRC — visits that connected her with SVA.
“The SVA supports those who’ve served throughout the Chapel Hill community through collaborations with different organizations,” Russell said. “I was drawn to SVA because of that need to get back to a place of service and coming together with fellow veterans who want to help the community.”
This drive to help the Carolina veterans community paid off when, earlier this year, Russell was elected vice president. It’s a role that Russell is perfect for as a work-study student at Carolina, navigating both the average campus life with the realities of being a student vet.
“Carolina offers so many great opportunities to student veterans,” Russell said. “ But a lot of fellow vets don’t know that. I think the biggest issue is trying to get students in my position involved.”
Russell has spent her time as vice president trying to solve this issue, promoting events that put veterans of all demographics at the forefront. One bonus is that her dog Lumen has proven to be quite the effective mascot for SVA. Russell says Lumen’s presence at these events has helped popularity soar.
Russell sees her experience at SVA and Hussman as valuable in her long-term goal of working within a nonprofit or health care organization. After graduating, she’s off to pursue a Master of Business Administration in marketing at the University of South Carolina. Still, she will be keeping an eye on the SVA and is excited to see it grow.
“I know there’s so many more people that the SVA can reach out to,” Russell said. “I’m excited about that future.”
