Professional Portrait

Who are you? A question this broad could be answered in a number of ways, but I think I’ll just stick to the basics. I’m Maddie Mitchell, I am a junior studying public relations (of course), and minoring in international studies. I am technically from Yukon, Oklahoma, but am quicker to claim Oklahoma City as I live right in between both.
What do you believe? I believe in taking advantage of all of the opportunities given to you. For a long time I did not do things because I was scared, and because of that I missed out on a lot of great opportunities. My philosophy now is try it once, and if you don’t like it, you never have to wonder if you would.
What do you do? I am a full time student, and therefore spend a large amount of time doing school work. I also work part time at a doctor’s office, and, although most of my job involves lots and lots of paperwork, I love working there. I get to interact with a wide variety of people, patients and coworkers, and handle a wide variety of tasks involved with my laundry list of job titles (i.e. front office worker, scanner, courier, lab assistant).
What guides you? My dad came from a family that pretty much lived pay check to pay check. When he went to college he did not know what he wanted to do, but rather that he wanted to make money. He went to a number of different colleges, but ended his college career with a masters in human resources from the University of Oklahoma. Although we are more financially stable than his family ever was, my dad still jokes he doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up. He has never been happy with his career, and therefore guides me to follow what makes me happy, rather than what makes the most money or is the safest choice. He guides me to follow my dreams, no matter how crazy they may be. Pretty much any time I need guidance on anything, no matter how I old I get my dad is always my first call.
What motivates you? I am very much a self motivator. I am my biggest critic by far, and always push myself to do my best work. This can also be a downfall as I am a perfectionist and will do tasks repeatedly until I feel they are right.
Where does design fit in your life? I haven’t dealt much with design before this class, but the few times I have I have loved it. I made a newsletter for my sorority for a class that ended up being used for the sorority. I also took introduction to advertising last semester and helped design our final book. I think there are a lot of ways design can be used, and am excited to discover more uses.