Dev Catalyst Alumni: Presley Connor and Living Her Dreams
Written By Maddie Steele
Presley Connor started as a little 6th grader in middle school who wanted to be involved in her local SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) club. She continued to be involved at a local level until her high school years when she was selected to be in their national leadership program. As she entered high school, she was offered an internship by SADD and now she has landed a full-time position as their Digital Strategy Manager.
Her daily view is of the rooftop of the White House in Washington, D.C, which is far more than little 6th grade Presley could have imagined for her life. Connor’s daily life involves digital design, web development, and running social media. Her job is different every day, and she has already implemented a new website and launched a new national brand for the company on June 1st. She graduated from Freed-Hardeman University with a degree in Communications, focusing on Public Relations, and the skills of graphic design and web development have helped her tremendously, as SADD never has to outsource any of the skills Connor has.
One story that stands out to Connor was when she was asked to represent the United States as delegate at the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Sweden. She attended this conference with the CEO of the company and got to meet the king of Sweden, where she was truly living the dreams of any young professional.
“I think this speaks to the fact that you never know who you’re going to meet and what they might present to you,” said Connor. “Because I was a 6th grader in the middle of nowhere Tennessee, and then I’m standing there with the king of Sweden and I now look over to the rooftop of the Whitehouse everyday.”
Making connections was the key for Connor. You’re never too young, and you’re never too old to begin forming relationships with companies and individuals who could help advance your career. Being open to the possibilities that life brings is essential to landing these kinds of dream jobs right out of college. Connor simply took the next step and accepted the positions that were offered to her. And these positions all came as a result of her involvement with companies she was passionate about at a young age.
“The Dev Catalyst program played a big role in shaping my career because it made me passionate about what I’m doing now,” said Connor. “It’s not a burden to go to work every day. A lot of that can be attributed to Dev Catalyst because they taught me the skills I needed to land an internship and to impress my colleagues here at SADD. I truly think within STEM and coding there are lots of different paths for everybody and you just have to find your niche in it. Personally, I didn't like sitting and typing it out line by line, but I loved the end result and seeing what it looked like, so that led me to graphic design and the front end based things.”
Take the leap, make that risky connection, pour your energy into learning valuable skills, and see where it takes you. Maybe you’ll end up at your dream job like Presley Connor?