Jacob Strasser, KLN ’24, uses his relationship-building and communication skills from his time as a public relations student at the Klein College of Media and Communication every day in his work for Citizens Bank as a public affairs coordinator.
The Haddonfield, New Jersey native knew he wanted to remain in the Philadelphia area for college and started at Temple University with a major in international business. Desiring a pivot to incorporate more of his writing talents into his work, he explored the university’s other options and decided on a major in public relations for its intersection of business and creativity.
“PR stood out to me as a good way where I could still enter the business world and work in a corporate setting but also utilize my skillset and do the things I enjoy, like using my writing and relationship skills,” he said.
In his first PR class with Professor Gregg Feistman, Strasser found the program’s teaching style to be a natural fit for him.
“My PR class with Gregg Feistman opened my eyes to what learning should feel like,” he said. “Having an enjoyable atmosphere, one where I felt open to raising my hand and contributing to the class. Before Klein, I was very reserved when it came to class participation, and all the professors in all my PR classes did a fantastic job of creating an atmosphere that was inclusive of all different types of learning and personalities. Even in a lecture-based class, there were ample opportunities for discussion.”
After developing his presentation and relationship-building skills throughout his time as a student, Strasser felt ready to put his strengths to use in an internship. He started as a community strategy intern at WSFS Bank and spent two summers interning there before completing a six-month co-op with Campbell’s on their community impact team—an experience that helped him later secure a full-time employment offer from Citizens.
Between his internship and co-op experiences, Strasser was both personally and professionally well-prepared to enter the world of community relations and communications.
As a public affairs coordinator, Strasser manages relationships on the ground between Citizens and nonprofits, community stakeholders and local government, and Feistman was pleased to hear about Strasser’s new role.
"It doesn't surprise me to see Jacob actively working to better communities. He was a terrific student, always engaged in learning and now he's taken that engagement to a higher level,” Feistman said. “I have no doubt he's making a difference for his employer and the groups he's working with."
Citizens focuses their grantmaking on workforce development and financial empowerment, such as connecting high school students to skilled learning opportunities.
“Being able to help provide opportunities for people has just been extremely rewarding,” Strasser said. “Hearing their stories when they go through a program or when they land that first job is inspiring, and I’m proud to be a part of that work.”
Strasser uses both the technical and soft skills he learned at Klein to execute his work, such as planning community engagement initiatives and events, composing talking points to brief executives and tracking these initiatives to demonstrate their meaningful impact.
“I’m thrilled to see Jacob successfully applying what he learned at Klein, from the classroom to internships to study abroad,” said Steve Ryan, assistant professor of instruction. “Seeing a student enter the workforce and make such substantive contributions in a short time thrills me to no end. I think I can speak for every member of the Klein PR faculty when I say that this is why we do what we do."