By Norm Miller, Louisiana College communications
PINEVILLE (LCNews) -“School up.”
Those two words of advice from Susan Broussard to a roomful of students summarize the Cleco exec’s hour-long chat in a public relations class at Louisiana College.
The 1992 LC alumna — a journalism/public relations double major — oversees human resources and public relations for Cleco, a privately owned electric utility company headquartered in Pineville.
“You must be able to communicate by the written word and verbally,” she said. “If you can’t execute an email without grammatical errors, or if you can’t express your thoughts and ideas, people will judge you on that. In many careers, if you can’t write you’re done for. You’ve go to be able to write.”
Broussard advised students to leverage every opportunity to build a portfolio whether through volunteer or paid positions, and to not rely solely on classroom education.
“A degree is just not enough any more,” she said. “It’s just not.”
“You can get that piece of paper; but if you’re going to apply for a job with me, I want to see what you can do. I want to see what you’re made of. You must demonstrate your ability.”
Broussard said her student portfolio helped launch her career. She was recruited to work for Cleco, and has been there for 22 years.
Effective public relations today includes a broad range of expertise and skills, including knowledge of social media, proficient public speaking and an aptitude for photography, so Broussard encouraged students to embrace and pursue a well rounded education. Why? “You might be a PR department of one,” she said.
“I’m a huge fan of liberal arts,” Broussard added, citing the liberal arts advantage: “I was shocked at how much more prepared I was” than other students in graduate school. “The reasons are I had hands-on learning through college publications, very good instruction at LC, and that liberal arts discipline.”
The liberal arts discipline is “something that is missing in today’s workforce because it gives you critical thinking skills and the ability to connect various pieces of data” into something meaningful and valuable.
“A lot of people can’t do that. They can’t,” she said, while noting the limitations of narrow technical training. Typically, such employees are not tapped for major leadership roles.
Saying the value of critical thinking leads to problem solving, Broussard told students, “You will be very well prepared when you leave Louisiana College” because of the inherent value of a liberal arts education.
Broussard said a great education must be coupled with hard work: “It sounds cliché and trite, but it is true in school and in the workplace. Hard work will differentiate you, but you’ve got to have your stuff together.”
As important as a good education and hard work are to success, Broussard advised students of their need for the spiritual dimension of life: “When all other relationships are not doing it for you, when work or school is a struggle, and when you hit rock bottom, you must know you are never alone. Your relationship with God will pull you through.”
Broussard is a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria.
“Our students were fortunate to have the opportunity to hear from someone who has been in the trenches,” said Dr. Beth Christian, professor of Communications and Chair, Division of Media and Communication.
“Susan’s 22 years of experience at Cleco include many of the challenges and crises that anyone in PR will face, and she has risen to the top of her field,” Christian said. “Her advice on honing good writing and communication skills, building relationships, and staying centered spiritually resonated with our students.”
Dr. Rick Brewer, president of LC, expressed his gratitude for Broussard’s “contagious willingness to share her Louisiana College experience and how that launched and undergirds her career.”
“Susan Broussard exemplifies the concept of service learning,” Brewer added. “And her belief in our brand of liberal arts education is more than sentimental or convictional, it is also practical because she is a member of our Board of Visitors.”
LC’s Board of Visitors consists of alumni, professionals, friends and others, whose financial support goes directly and only to student scholarships. Their contributions benefitted more than 135 qualified students this fall semester.
In an interview with LCNews, Broussard commented on why she visited the class: “When I was at Louisiana College, there were a lot of people who encouraged me, instructed me. That made a big difference in my life. And I want students here to believe that they can get the kind of education that can put them in places that they could never imagine. That’s why I’m here, to make sure that they know what other people told me: ‘This is a special place.’”
