By: Bianca De Paz
Angelica Peralta, University of Miami’s PRSSA president and senior studying public relations and entrepreneurship, has been selected as a scholar for The Latina Project.
The Miami Herbert Business School recently launched the program to help young women build social capital, succeed in their professional careers and establish their own entrepreneurial ventures. It is led by Susy Alvarez-Diaz, senior lecturer at the University of Miami, who has been Peralta’s mentor while taking entrepreneurship courses.
“Susy is an amazing woman, and I asked her to be my mentor since she is both a PR professional and entrepreneur,” Peralta said.
As a first-generation Dominican student, Peralta has faced challenges while being a Latina woman and claims it is not as easy as people portray it to be.
“I feel very grateful and honored to have been selected because it is difficult being a Latina woman not only in Miami, but anywhere you go,” Peralta said.
Prior to transferring to the University of Miami, she was majoring in public accounting at Mercy College in New York, where she was born and raised.
From an early age, Peralta grew up surrounded by family in the law enforcement industry, which resulted in her becoming a police cadet for the New York City Police Department in 2018. Although she enjoyed helping the community, she didn’t picture herself working in the law enforcement field in the future.
“It was a great experience, and even though I realized I’m very social, I didn’t see myself doing it in the long run,” Peralta shared.
Initially, she transferred to the University of Miami as an undecided major until a fellow student introduced her to public relations and suggested that she would make a great fit.
“Once I arrived at the School of Communication and took my first class, it all came natural to me,” said Peralta. “I began to admire public relations more and more as time went by.”
At the beginning of her senior year, she joined the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). The national organization aims to introduce students to networking opportunities in the public relations and communications field while enhancing their personal and professional development. Peralta became the PRSSA president and learned about the national position during a meeting. She decided to run for it and was pleasantly surprised when she was elected to the president role.
“I was very pleased to have been chosen for this position because it demonstrates my leadership capabilities and how far I’ve come,” Peralta noted.
The new role is part of a busy semester for Peralta, who is currently working remotely as a public relations intern at Hiltzik Strategies, a firm based in New York City. She assists the account teams with media monitoring and helps support business development efforts. In her final semester at the University, she hopes to continue aiming for the stars and doing what it takes to become a successful PR professional.
“Being open-minded, adaptable, and a critical thinker will help you develop into a better PR professional throughout the years,” Peralta said.
Her dream one day is to open up a non-profit organization in the Dominican Republic and partner up with local churches.
To learn more about the Latina Project, click here.
