Growing up, Petra Owusu dreamed of being in the world of journalism, either as a news anchor or magazine writer. Once she reached her junior year of high school, those dreams changed. At a college fair, she learned about public relations and advertising. With P.R., she realized she could still pursue her creativity but also explore the business side of mass communication.
Owusu stays busy outside the classroom by participating in several extracurricular activities. She’s been an active member of Public Relations Student Society of American (PRSSA), the special event director for the Student Union Board and president of the Network Against Human Trafficking. As the president of the Network Against Human Trafficking, she worked with the Iowa State University martial arts clubs to set up self-defense seminars. While in PRSSA, she discovered a potential career path.
“I went on the tour to Minneapolis, and that was an amazing experience,” Owusu said. “I hadn’t been to an agency before that, but now agency life is an area that really interests me.”
With the ability to work remotely, Owusu has worked at multiple agencies and completed seven internships. At an internship with Mad Marketing, Owusu worked alongside the founders of the company to jump-start the agency.
Currently, Owusu is applying to graduate school. She’s hoping to end up in either Chicago or California but is applying to schools across the country.
Her parents were a major influence in her pursuit of higher education. They constantly encouraged Owusu and her brothers to absorb as much education as possible. Going to graduate school was always on her college checklist.
After graduate school, Owusu hopes to pursue the exciting world of entertainment P.R.. As the go-to pop culture guru of her friends, the career seemed like a fitting choice.
“I’m really looking forward to being in a new place. When looking at grad schools, I really stepped out of my comfort zone location-wise because I feel like I needed that push. I know that if I realize that I actually don’t like the location that I am living in, the positive is that I still have my master’s degree, and I know that that is a positive,” she said.