On Tuesday, April 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Howard Gittis Student Center, Room 217, the next generation of professionals from Klein College of Media and Communication’s Department of Advertising and Public Relations will take a leap into the industry at the Senior Showcase. During the event, seniors will showcase their portfolios to recruiters, professionals and faculty attendees. The event is free and open to professional guests, who can RSVP by clicking here. 

The Senior Showcase invites various industry professionals to observe the high-quality work advertising and public relations students have created during their time at Klein College. Professionals are invited to meet new graduates with concentrations in account management, brand strategy & research, media planning, public relations, art direction and copywriting. The showcase also allows industry professionals to network with emerging talent. 

This year, the showcase theme revolves around a record store. Titled “Senior Showcase: New Releases,” the event positions seniors as the next greatest hit.  Seniors are preparing themselves and their portfolios for a perfect pitch.  

Marie Suttman, an advertising senior on the account management track, has been tirelessly preparing for the showcase. For Suttman, the Senior Showcase represents both a culmination of study and a new beginning. 

“Participating in this showcase means a lot to me,” she said. “The showcase is my final chapter at Temple, and the showcase gives me an opportunity to reflect on all the hard work and growth that makes me who I am. 

For students, the showcase becomes much more than a presentation: it becomes a defining moment where preparation meets opportunity. 

To prepare for the showcase, Suttman has focused on developing her personal brand and her professional materials. Suttman was a first runner-up in the annual Washington Media Scholars Foundation Media Plan Case Competition. As a result, she hopes to highlight large-scale projects that demonstrate her experience. Through her portfolio, Suttman’s materials will demonstrate her strong organization, collaboration and management skills.  

“I want to show attendees that I am a communicator who is forward thinking, strategic and can consistently generate new ideas while staying on top of trends,” she said. “At the same time, I want to show employers my appreciation for and understanding of foundational advertising principles.” 

Like Suttman, public relations major Emma Sexauer has also approached the showcase with a level of thoughtfulness and intention. In addition to preparing for the showcase, Sexauer is the firm director of PRowl Public Relations, Temple University’s student-run public relations agency. As firm director, she oversees account teams, manages client relationships and proofreads and edits content. She also serves as the director of digital communications at Temple University’s Public Relations Student Society of America Chapter. 

“I have been doing a lot of preparation to present both myself and my work to industry professionals at the Senior Showcase,” she said. “I finalized my website, which showcases my work across different industries, printed copies of my resume on high-quality paper and designed personal branding elements. Taking these steps has helped me feel as prepared and confident as possible.” 

During the showcase, Sexauer plans on presenting social media graphics she designed for clients using live links on her laptop to show how her graphics exist in real time. She will have copies on hand of press releases and media advisories to highlight her writing skills. 

“These materials are strong examples of my ability to think strategically and communicate effectively,” she noted. 

Sexauer attributes the strength of her portfolio to her internships, where she has worked directly with clients and produced measurable results. For instance, she created press releases and graphics for Reading Terminal Market to increase votes for USA Today’s 10 Best Public Market contest; her efforts and campaign resulted in the market achieving first place. 

“My internships have been the biggest confidence booster for me, and they’ve helped me achieve a lot,” said Sexauer. “Through my internships, I’ve had the opportunity to apply my skills with real clients across multiple industries.” 

Aside from the senior participants, there is an incredible amount of work happening behind the scenes to ensure the event is a smash hit. Diamond Edge Communications (DEC) is the student agency responsible for organizing the Senior Showcase. In addition to event planning, DEC also designs its promotional campaign. 

The agency is composed of advertising and public relations students who work with real clients. The DEC team assigned to the Senior Showcase project consists of Account Directors Indya Gregory-Jerome and Jake Lavin; Art Directors Elizabeth Okesola, Riley Ivanitski, and Hannah Weiss; Copywriter Tori Edwards; and Public Relations Coordinator Elena Grace Erdley. They are advised by Professors Stacey Harpster and Sheryl Kantrowitz. 

“I’m proud of this year’s team,” Kantrowitz said. “They created something that’s not just visually engaging but also inclusive and rooted in a strong idea about discovery.” 

Kantrowitz provides creative direction for the showcase, and she helps students with the overall art direction and visual identity of the program. The “New Releases” theme and campaign emerged from a collaborative process where DEC was asked to think of the showcase an experience, not just as an event. 

“At the kickoff, the students were grounded in a few key challenges: how to represent the range of disciplines in our department in one cohesive system, how to make the experience feel inclusive and achievable for all students and how to create something that reflects the creativity of this graduating class,” said Kantrowitz. “‘New Releases’ became the campaign title because it clearly communicates what the showcase is—introducing new talent.” 

When pitching ideas for the Senior Showcase’s theme, DEC presented three concepts to a committee of Klein College faculty and staff. Ultimately, the record store theme won because the idea was creative and addressed the key challenges.  

“The concept of flipping through records and finding something unexpected felt like a strong parallel to how employers experience emerging talent,” said Kantrowitz. “Instead of presenting students as a single group, the idea positions each person as their own ‘release’ with a distinct voice.” 

When designing the event, DEC members had to adapt, solve problems and keep moving forward during feedback, shifting priorities and quick deadlines. 

“While team members may come in with a specific focus—strategy, creative, PR, media—they quickly learn that there’s a lot of overlap,” Kantrowitz said. “Ideas don’t live in silos, and teams require collaboration to create great work.” 

Through the DEC team’s work, the Senior Showcase presents a shared experience to students and employers. The showcase allows students and employers to see unique personalities and hear new creative voices.  

“I hope employers walk away with a clear sense that these graduates are truly prepared to enter the industry; not just because of what they’ve learned in the classroom but also because of the experiences that extend beyond it,” said Kantrowitz. “The showcase is designed to make talent visible, so employers are not just meeting students but discovering individuals with distinct voices, skills and areas of focus.” 

Through an exemplary promotional campaign, the Senior Showcase does not go unnoticed. Many industry professionals attend looking to recruit or connect with emerging talent. Among those industry professionals is Kenny Kim, the group creative director of Aloysius Butler & Clark. Like many professionals, Kim frequently attends Klein College’s Senior Showcase. 

“As someone who oversees creative work and helps to shape a department, it’s important that I know what kind of talent is in the pipeline locally,” Kim explained.  

For Kim, the showcase allows him to build meaningful connections with emerging talent and the Klein College community. 

“The showcase allows me to make connections with newcomers to the industry,” said Kim. “You can kind of quickly tell who has ‘it’ and who has the potential for ‘it.’”  

In addition, Kim refers talent from the showcase to other companies.  

“People will often ask if I know any good juniors,” said Kim. 

Above all, Kim enjoys the Senior Showcase because of Klein students. While much of his work centers on creative development, Kim also evaluates how well students understand strategy, messaging and audience engagement. To Kim, Klein students have an incredible ability that separates them from a traditional design or art school. 

“More than anything, I think Klein students understand the entire process and not just their specific discipline,” Kim explained. “I’ve found that Klein students have more of an understanding on campaigns, strategy and the creative brief; the less we have to teach those things to a junior, the more we can trust them with real work.” 

As a result, Kim encourages other industry professionals to attend—not only to recruit and network but also to stay informed on emerging trends and talent. 

“I don’t really know why an industry professional wouldn’t want to know what type of work students are making,” said Kim. “The showcase is a look into a student’s time capsule and an opportunity to see what makes newer generations tick; above all, you find someone who can add value to your agency—kind of a no-brainer.” 

Like Kim, many other recruiters enjoy hiring Klein students. According to a recent First Destination Survey, 70% of Klein College students secure jobs in their field, either full-time or part-time; the national average is 67%. For Klein’s advertising and public relations students, 84% of advertising students and 85% of public relations students secured a job or pursued further education within the first year of graduation. The outcome data is based on responses from 569 of the 653 total Klein College graduates from 2022 and 2023. 

“There's definitely demand for Klein students,” said Chris Blackman, director of career services at Klein College. “There's something about Temple students, and specifically Klein students, that employers seem to keep coming back to.” 

As director of career services at Klein College, Chris Blackman directs career planning, development programs and internship opportunities for students. As a result, Blackman is in frequent contact with many employers and Klein College alumni.  

“I think what makes Klein students stand out from most is how well prepared they are at Klein,” Blackman said. "With various on and off campus opportunities, many students are able to make smooth transitions right into a full-time workspace.”  

According to Blackman, Klein graduates serve in roles in account management, social media strategy, public relations, media relations, corporate communications and beyond. Klein students have even served in executive roles. Above all, many recent Klein graduates easily secure full-time roles as a direct result of internships and experiential learning.  

“Catherine Rae, one of our recent alumni, started an internship at Brian Communications, a public relations agency, when she was a student and ended up getting a full-time job as an account manager,” said Blackman. “I hear stories like this all the time; nothing speaks louder to employers than experience and a strong work ethic.” 

Blackman also emphasized the creativity and motivation of Klein students. 

“I think employers appreciate the fact that students are at Klein College because they genuinely want to be here. They’re passionate about what they do, and they’re ready to roll up their sleeves at any moment,” said Blackman. “Students are committed to being successful, and that's why I get so many employers who want Klein students. Our reputation speaks for itself, and the work our students make doesn’t go without notice.” 

Likewise, the preparation, dedication and professionalism of the 2026 graduating class is guaranteed to be noticed by attendees of the Senior Showcase. Across both advertising and public relations, the seniors have demonstrated a shared foundation in strategy, execution and professional readiness. Above all, their portfolios encapsulate the quality of education and mentorship that Klein College provides for students. The portfolio reflects the consistent ability and quality of all Klein students at all phases of their academic career.  

Above all, the Senior Showcase serves as a culmination of each student’s journey while in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations. The Senior Showcase is an opportunity for students to tell their unique story to others.  

The Senior Showcase is guaranteed to impress industry attendees. We invite you to see for yourself the qualifications of new Klein College Advertising and Public Relations graduates and connect with Klein College’s vibrant community.