Adventure to the Concrete Jungle

After a two hour train ride through beautiful Philly and Jersey, we made it to my favorite place in America, New York City! I was fortunate enough to spend a little over a week in New York over the summer and absolutely fell madly in love. Ever since before high school I had always dreamed of going to New York, probably because I'm so obsessed with FRIENDS, which is based out of NYC. I feel the greatest adrenaline, drive, and motivation every time I step onto the streets of New York. The fashion in New York just feeds my passion for fashion. One of my dreams is to work on 5th Avenue and do Fashion PR or Fashion Design. I love New York, I love fashion, I love PR, and all you need is love.

And The Winner Goes To...

UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY! 

Tonight we proudly took home the National Outstanding Chapter Award! At the Closing Banquet for the conference, they gave out various awards to different schools. The most important and prestigious award that is given out is saved for the very end. With much anticipation, we patiently waited as they were reading the background on the winning chapter. They said that this chapter's Adviser won Adviser of  the Year the previous year, which was our adviser, Stephen Whyte. Once they said that, our chapter went wild! 

I can not explain how excited, proud, grateful, honored, happy [every good feeling!] I am to be part of the UVU PRSSA Chapter. I always knew that UVU had a wonderful PR program, but now, we have the best PRSSA Chapter in the Nation! After going up to accept our award, we suddenly became celebrities. Countless people came up to congratulate us and to shake our hand. This was one of the most incredible nights of my life. I am just that much more motivated to become the PR pro that I want to be! I love UVU PRSSA, and all you need is love.

Let | F R E E D O M | Ring

Today we were able to get a wonderful whiff of the rich Philadelphia history. Our first stop was the Liberty Bell, which has been moved into a historic museum where they have a self guided tour explaining the history and background of the Liberty Bell. The original crack and everything is still on the Bell. I love history and learning about the foundation of our country. It was such a solemn experience being able to see first hand where the Liberty Bell came from. 

After learning all about the Liberty Bell, we ventured across the street to Independence Hall. Here, we took a tour and were educated about the founding fathers of our country. We were even able to enter the same room where they signed the Constitution. Most everything in the room is a replica of what was once in there. The only original piece of furniture is the chair behind the desk, in the left hand side of the picture. That is where George Washington sat. What a humbling experience it was touring this incredibly historic and monumental building. Touring down town Philly and being able to learn so much about our Country's history made me love America even more than I already did, and all you need is love.

Philly Food Coma

After tonight, I don't think I will need to eat again for a good month. Our adviser, Stephen, took our Chapter out to dinner to a famous Italian Restaurant. I would dare say that we ordered enough food to feed the entire PRSSA National Conference! We had three different appetizers, my favorite being the brochette, of course. We had four different chicken dinner meals, all of which I as able to have a large serving of. My favorite main course was the Chicken Marsala, for sure. Even though I was stuffed before the main course came to the table, I didn't have the will power to turn down dessert. We had both cheesecake topped with the best strawberries I have ever eaten, as well as a double fudge chocolate cake. It was the most rich thing I have ever partaken of, and I don't feel guilty one bit! I am a chocolate and cheesecake lover, and all you need is love.

How to get a famous person to Tweet you...

It's simple, just tell her that she looks like Jennifer Aniston. At the Warner Bros. workshop, Tammy Golihew talked about the TV show FRIENDS, which is my all time favorite show. I own all ten seasons, including the extended edition season finale, of course. I have every episode memorized and dream of one day meeting the cast. As Tammy was talking about the show and the set of Central Perk, she turned her head ever so slightly and looked like Rachel, from FRIENDS, otherwise known as Jennifer Aniston. I tweeted that to her and to my surprise, she tweeted me back, thanking me for the sweet compliment. We went on and tweeted a couple of times about the cupcakes and what our favorite cupcakes are. I also deemed her the Cupcake Queen, which she loved as well. Everyone loves a good genuine compliment, and all you need is love.

Land of Cupcakes

At the last session today, I chose to go to the "World of Entertainment PR with Warner Bros." workshop. At the beginning they handed out a couple tickets, not knowing what they were for, I didn't pay any attention to them. During the presentation, I learned so much about Entertainment PR, and really made me think about whether I would want to work in the field of PR. It seems to be very hectic, but very rewarding. I think it would be an incredible experience working for Warner Bros. or any entertainment company. At the end of the presentation, Tammy Golihew explained that the tickets were for an exclusive cupcake party after the workshop. I was SO sad that I didn't get a golden ticket. 

While everyone was clearing out of the room, a girl walks up to me and says, "I really love your bowtie, would you like my cupcake ticket?" I immediately fell in love with her, obviously, or maybe just the compliment, I'm not sure. So I was able to meet Tammy, and the other two Warner Bros. presenters at the Cupcake Mixer and talk to them one on one. I gave them my card and they gave me theirs and I am excited to continue to connect with them! 

I love bowties and cupcakes, and apparently I'm not the only one. All you need is love.

Born to be a star

Today, Utah Valley University Public Relations Student Society of America received the Star Chapter Award. I feel so privileged to be a part of such an amazing chapter. The more I learn about PR, the more confirmation I get that it is what I should be doing. The keynote speaker, Mary Henige, the woman to the right of me said, "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." She oversees all Public Relations for General Motors. She has incredible experience in the Public Relations field and it was inspiring hearing what she had to say about her job and how much she has done for her company. It was very evident that she loves Public Relations. I am a huge believer that as long as you do what you love, you will love your life. Because all you need is love. 

East Coast Grubbin

After the conference workshops were over, I ventured over to the indoor market place, where they have over fifty different food vendors, candy shops, dessert bars, etc. to find some inexpensive grub. It was the perfect venue for a starving college student. I stumbled upon this very unique Amish restaurant. Word on the street is that it has the best food around, namely the turkey burger. Turkey burger? I thought it sounded disgusting, too, but one of my favorite things to do is try new food, especially while traveling. I feel that it's a large part of the culture I'm taking part in and learning about. So, I tried the turkey burger, and to my surprise, it was hands down one of the best meals I've ever had! The Amish make their food from all natural ingredients and  take very seriously what they do, in this case, cooking. I was happy that I left my comfort box to try tried new things. I love trying new things, and all you need is love. 

And We Danced

The perfect ending to any day, in my opinion, is a great dance party. And a great dance party is what we had! The conference put on a Gatsby Themed dance party, which started off with a spunky jazz band, then led into the good stuff--hip hop. We created a couple dance battles and obviously win all of them. Everyone in the room was impressed by UVU's dancing skills. "Dang, those Mormons can get down, and the aren't even drunk!" Said a couple different students from various states. It's always fun to be the life of the party!
A day filled with three things that I love; learning, making new friends, and dancing, is a day well spent. All you need is love.

Home Base

Day one of PRSSA Nationals Conference was a success! I spent my day in the incredible Loews Hotel attending workshops, networking, and learning from the pros. I have already learned so much and and can tell that this trip will be well worth it.

My favorite workshop, by far, would have to be the Diversity Workshop. Though most of the material wasn't anything I hadn't heard before, it really moved me to hear it from a different perspective. The East Coast is so diverse, and at the same time much more accepting and understanding. Diversity is not just what's on the outside, or skin color, or looks, but the majority of diversity entails what's on the inside. Our background, our feelings, our thighs, and countless other things also put a spin on diversity. I will do a blog post solely dedicated to this subject, or maybe even an entire blog.

Oh hey there, Philly!

Stepping off the air plane, taking a deep breath of the cool, crisp East Coast air gave me the thrill I have been longing or months. I finally made it! Philadelphia, so far, is pretty much exactly how I imagined it to be. I love the East Coast and am already dreading having to leave next week. The conference sessions start today and I anticipate learning many great pointers and lessons, and meeting some incredible and influential people. I love learning new things and meeting new people. And all you need is love. 

A hug goes a long way

On September 27, I was fortunate enough to attend the ribbon cutting for the new UVU Wee Care Center. This building was able to be built hanks to The generous donation from Barbara Barrington Jones totaling over $2 million. Barbara is a dear friend of the UVU family and approached Paige Holland about donating the money. This brought tears to Paige's eyes, because the increasing he success of women at UVU is near to her heart. Barbara sold her hoke in California in order to make the donation. The Wee Care Center is the first privately funded building UVU has. After the ribbon cutting and mingling, Barbara made her way to the door, but not before I stopped her. I thanked her for her generous donation and love for UVU. I then asked her if I could give her a hug because her story was so moving to me and I quickly thought the world of her. She happily offered a warm hug. 

What is the moral to this story? Over a month later, I was volunteering at the UVU scholarship Ball and Barbara walked up to me and said "Zack, it's so good to see you again, can I have a hug?" Barbara remembered my name and generously offered her friendship. I am grateful at I took the time to thank her, give her a hug, and network with her. I love hugs. And all you need is love. 

Passion For Fashion

There are many things that I love, and as you know, one of my life mottos is "Do More Of What You Love." Fashion is one of the many things that I love. I would even go as far as saying that I have a passion for fashion. This passion inspired me to plan and implement UVU's first fashion show, sponsored by UVU PRSSA. This event helped me to network with local fashion designers and understand what I like and don't like in the fashion industry. I hope to one day own my own fashion line and plan large scale fashion shows.

Ashley, Nicole and I were able to pull off a successful fashion show. We had over fifteen models walk the walk down the red carpeted runway and teach UVU students how to dress business professional and business causal. We had two guest speaker fashion designers educate us on how to dress in interviews and gave us some helpful pointers on how to dress to impress. 

Two of my favorite things in one night; fashion + event planning = loving life. All you need is love.

Networking Ninja

Having the incredible opportunity to attend so many events at Utah Valley University has given me the priceless experience of knowing how to network well. This particular event was the Utah Valley University Alumni Awards Dinner. This was a black tie event, which had many successful UVU alumni in attendance. As a UVU Alumni Board member, I sat at the front table reserved for the Alumni Board. This gave me the chance to get to know other Board members and learn from them how to become successful.

Not only was I fortunate enough to attend the event, but also had the privilege to give out the seven different Alumni Awards. I was able to present awards to successful business owners, the Vice President of Kraft Foods Inc., the Vice President of Marketing for 20th Century Fox, and other amazing award recipients. I was grateful to have the opportunity to stand on stage with President Holland and get to know each of theses incredible individuals. It inspired me to strive to be an outstanding student, rather than an ordinary student. I love my school and the opportunities it gives me to find my path to success. All you need is love.

Destination: Philly [PRSSA Nationals]

I have been given the incredible opportunity to venture to the East Coast and attend the PRSSA National Conference held in Philadelphia. I couldn't be more excited to network with some of the elite PR professionals from the East Coast. I fell in love with the East Coast when I spent a few weeks there last summer and I look forward to going back. 

For the majority of the week I will be staying in the Heart of Philly. Exploring new cities is one of my absolute favorite activities. Philly has so much to offer, including; the National Constitutional Center, Independence Square, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the LOVE Statue, museums, and more. As long as I see the LOVE Statue, I will come home a happy boy, because really, all you need is love.

This Is Me

I would like to welcome myself to the world of blogging.

My Name Is Zack Dearing.

My Close Friends Call Me Zackydear.

UVU Student Alumni President.

Stop Being Boring.

Do More Of What You Love.

Puppy Named Berlyn.

World Traveler.

PR Major.

Event Planner.

All You Need Is Love.