Many people’s careers and passions do not always align; for Genevieve Carrillo, a Western Journalism Department alum, this was not the case. Carrillo succeeded in elevating her love of rowing to a new level and learned a lot from doing so. 

In 2016, Carrillo graduated from Western Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a minor in business administration. 

Let’s discuss how she got here before taking a look at what she’s accomplished since leaving Western. 

Carrillo enrolled as a freshman at Western Washington University in the fall of 2012. It was the Pacific Northwest allure and location that cemented the deal. 

“I knew I truly loved the PNW feel from my upbringing in West Seattle, and after touring, I also adored the campus at Western,” Carrillo said. 

That being said, like many freshman college students, Carrillo was unsure of what her plan of study was at Western.

“Fall quarter freshman year I really didn’t know what I wanted to do; I was thinking maybe communications,” Carrillo said. 

That was until Carrillo found herself in JOUR 190, Intro to Mass Media. From there Carrillo knew she was cut out for public relations after just the first course. 

“Everything we were studying in the class just clicked for me, and I thought, ‘Oh, I love this,’” Carrillo said.

There was no end to the excitement as Carrillo spoke highly about her entire experience while being a student in the Western journalism department. 

“The course material was so engaging that I truly enjoyed learning for the first time, regardless of whether I was in a 100-level or 400-level class,” Carrillo said.

Carrillo still thinks highly of one class in particular: JOUR 309, which is editing. Among the topics covered in this course are news copy desk operations, computerized editing, dummying, headline writing, page make-up and news graphics.

“The most memorable course for me was editing,” Carrillo said. “We worked extensively with InDesign, and I enjoyed every aspect of it, from small assignments to big projects. This was the class where I really found my niche.” 

Carrillo enjoyed more about the journalism department than just the classes. Carrillo’s memories of her journalism professors are overwhelmingly positive. 

“They were so passionate about the work that they did, and it made it so easy for me to buy into what they were teaching,” Carrillo said.

Carrillo’s minor in business administration meant that she spent time studying outside of the journalism department. It was, however, easier and more enjoyable for Carrillo to take journalism classes. 

“In my opinion, nothing is worse than a professor who hasn’t changed his or her curriculum since the ’90s,” Carrillo said. “So being in a department with professors who were constantly updating their content to reflect what’s popular or trending was really exciting.” 

Carrillo found the business courses she took to complete her business administration minor to be very challenging, but she is glad she did them and thinks they have helped her career.

“The minor gave me my fill of business; it helped round me out,” Carrillo said. “I’ve used the skills at all my jobs, and it makes my resume stand out.” 

Outside of being a student, Carrillo remained busy as the coxswain of Western’s men’s rowing team. All four years of her time at Western, Carrillo filled this role and was a huge part of her experience here.

“I always tell people I learned everything I needed to know about being a good coworker and businessperson, I learned on the water,” Carrillo said. “My experience on the team taught me leadership, accountability and teamwork, skills that textbooks cannot teach.” 

Outside of bettering herself and learning important life skills, being a member of the rowing team allowed her to develop a vast network, which is crucial in the public relations industry. 

“Participating in athletics not only improved me as a person, but it also provided me with a network,” Carrillo said. “I now meet rowers everywhere I go, and that really did help me land jobs in the past.” 

Carrillo, however, continued to be involved in rowing after landing a role as a communications intern with USRowing in the spring quarter of senior year. Carrillo left for New Jersey less than 24 hours after graduation.

“It was absolutely amazing,” Carrillo said. “I had the opportunity to intern at the 2016 Olympics, where I learned a great deal about sports public relations, press release writing and deadlines.” 

Carrillo got a jump start in the chaotic and time-consuming world of public relations by beginning her career in sports public relations. Fortunately, the experience was thrilling due to her passion for the sport. 

“After four years of rowing, these athletes were like celebrities,” Carrillo said. “I was in awe of being able to interview and take headshots of them.”

Following her summer internship with USRowing, Carrillo received an opportunity to work as the marketing coordinator and stayed for a year and a half.

Carrillo said the position was a fantastic beginning to her career, teaching her useful skills and vital to building her network. 

“It gave me exposure to such a big network,” Carrillo said. “I had the opportunity to collaborate with Nike, Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated and other well-known companies.” 

Carrillo remarked, “Putting on my blazer and attending the meetings in Manhattan was a great feeling; the work was so big and exciting.”

But the excitement didn’t stop when Carrillo departed USRowing. She said  the most significant thing she has done in her career is to be enthusiastic about the work she is doing. 

“I feel like one of the things that’s helped me most in my career is being excited to learn; you can tell when someone is genuinely interested and excited about the job, and it makes all the difference,” Carrillo said. “I’ve seen people with less experience who are super excited about the work get hired over someone with years of experience. You can feel they are going to hit the ground running and care.” 

Carrillo applies the same enthusiasm and drive to her present position as a community specialist at Whatcom Transportation Authority in Bellingham, Washington. 

Carrillo is now the men’s rowing team’s assistant coach here at WWU. It’s a full-circle moment, as Carrillo has returned to the rowing world through Western men’s rowing, where she first started.