Member Q&A with Rachel Batdorff
The PRSA Hoosier Chapter is conducting member profiles throughout the year to facilitate connections within the Chapter. We are pleased to introduce Rachel Batdorff.
Name: Rachel Batdorff
Employer: Bowen Center
Position: Assistant Director, Allen County
College:
BA in Public Relations, Huntington University
MA in Public Relations, Ball Sate University
PRSA Position: Steering Committee Member for Hoosier Chapter Northeast Indiana
Q: Is there a specific cause or non-profit for which you advocate?
Absolutely. I have always valued volunteering in the local community. I am a part of a leadership team for Rotaract, a subset of Rotary. In Rotaract, we specifically aim at volunteering for one local, nonprofit organization in Fort Wayne each month. Not only is this a great networking opportunity for our members, it also allows us to give back and view our community in a different way.
Q: What’s your coolest career experience to date?
To date, my coolest career experience was the excitement of pitching and coordinating my first media story. Immediately after undergrad I worked for a residential counseling facility that housed troubled teen boys, BrickHouse Family Ministries. Josh Jank, a terminally ill 21-year-old, wanted to visit the residential farm facility as a part of his bucket list. 21Alive covered the story, even airing a second, follow-up story for a weekend segment. It was a humbling and thrilling experience.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your current job?
My favorite part is the variety. Every day is different. I’m an Assistant Director for the Allen County Bowen Center, engaging and building our public relations and community relations development. The healthcare agency runs so many different programs that I find myself learning something new every day…and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Q: What skill set would you like to learn?
I would like to gain an improved ability to read people and adapt to the way they communicate. I want to be better able to serve as a liaison and connect my in-house experts with the external organizations seeking information.
Q: What advice would you give to new PR professionals?
Humilitas veritas. A very respected Team Bowen colleague and mentor told me this. Humility is truth, spoken by St. Thomas Aquinas. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but knowing the truth and the truth about you. Pride is a negation of reality.