According to senior Sidney Smiley, “I considered history and psychology, but that’s just not who Sydney is. Sydney is not that kind of major.”

Smiley entered Waynesburg University not knowing what she wanted to do with her life. Now, Smiley is leaving knowing with her experiences, such as being the President of a Public Relations chapter at Waynesburg. 

“I chose Waynesburg because I toured here and absolutely loved it. I felt like the environment was exactly what I wanted and it was like a close knit community,” Smiley said. “Then I received the Founder’s Scholarship. I had already committed, but that was just like it’s meant to be kind of moment.” 

Smiley, when entering college, had an open mind towards what she was going to do or study in.

“I was open to anything. I knew from a very young age that I loved writing and I loved creating and I loved TV and I love broadcast, I loved that kind of stuff,” Smiley said. “I always knew I was going to end up with something like that and I was right.” 

It took Smiley until her second semester to realize the major she had interest in, and through that she was able to find the Department of Communication.

“I didn’t declare my major until my second semester of my freshman year, and I’m a personal writing major, but with that I had to take communication courses,” Smiley said. “Professor [Richard] Krause really pushed me to get into public relations because he saw potential in me that I don’t think I saw in myself.”

Ever since being introduced to public relations, Smiley said she knows this is what she is meant to do with her life and future work. 

“I’m a people person, I love talking to people. I love communicating, and creating and creating those authentic stories with people,” Smiley said. “Whether that’s a news story, news release, press release, social media campaign, whatever it may be, I just know this is where I’m meant to be.”

While at Waynesburg University, Smiley has served as the Chapter President for Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter at Waynesburg, she also leads “The Community Foundation of Greene County” account with the Red Brick communications firm and is in Sigma Fi Delta, the honors society for the Department of English and Foreign Languages.  

Smiley said the number one thing she has taken away is authenticity. 

“Be who you are, be what your brand is,” Smiley said. “Always being honest and trusting in yourself to reach for whatever limit it may be because any goal is possible.” 

Junior public relations major Olivia Kiger, and future vice president of Waynesburg’s chapter of PRSSA, has been able to learn a lot and shadow Smiley this year. 

Kiger and Smiley both entered Waynesburg not in the Department of Communication, however, Kiger was able to meet Smiley in one of her first classes in the Department.

“I remember meeting her in our ‘Intro to Public Relations’ class and thinking she is a bougie girl,” Kiger said. “This past semester though, we are stuck together like glue. We’ve been stuck together and it’s just like so surreal going back to our ‘Intro to Public Relations’ class and seeing Sydney for the first time.”

Kiger reflected and said the reason her and Smiley became so close is that Kiger needed Smiley in that moment of her life. 

“I am very grateful, but I do wish I had the guts to talk to her sooner, because I was afraid to talk to her,” Kiger said.

The relationship Kiger has been able to form with Smiley has been able to reach outside of the classroom as well. 

“One of my favorite memories of Sydney is going to ‘Condados Tacos’ for the first time and introducing me to such unique cuisine,” Kiger said. “And now it is our favorite place to go, like we’ll get our nails done together and then we’ll go to Condado.” 

Kiger also said just being around Smiley has been a favorite memory for her. 

“She’s such a joy to be around. She’s the type of person that if I talk negatively about myself in a situation or about anything and she’s the type of person I can talk to and she won’t tell me ‘you need to be more positive’, she’ll match my energy,” Kiger said. “We just match each other’s energy to the point where we are like the same person.”

Smiley’s favorite moment in the Department ranges back to the beginning of her time in the Department.  

“I started coming to “Dual in Buhl” my sophomore year and I wasn’t a part of the Department just yet. I was taking classes and Professor Krause just invited me,” Smiley said. “All of the Dual in Buhls have been just great, and this year I’m just happy we won.” 

Smiley said when recalling some great memories that she is just grateful to be able to see the PRSSA chapter grow this year and triple in numbers. 

“I feel like I really did something good here,” Smiley said. “I just want to say thank you to everyone. I would say I am basically a communication major, but everyone just welcomed me and I feel like I have found my real family.”