Grace Hunsberger

—Grace Hunsberger, current Ball State public relations student

Hunsberger Plans Her Return to Public Relations Field
In her two years as director for First Fridays of Downtown Goshen, Inc., a monthly celebration of arts in the northern Indiana city’s downtown merchant district, Grace Hunsberger doubled the size of the program and made it the envy—and a model—for surrounding communities.

“First Fridays has been one of the great things that has come along, and it is largely because of the work by Grace,” says Allan Kauffman, mayor of Goshen.

“My work with First Fridays expanded my passion for public relations,” says Hunsberger, who has worked in PR for nearly seven years, including a stint as account director for Eyedart, a communications firm in Goshen.

Hunsberger, who earned her bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership at Goshen College, considered doing Ball State’s PR degree online while working in her hometown of Goshen.

But once she met with professors and students in the program, she knew she wanted to pursue the degree on campus and in a traditional classroom.

While in school, Husberger is working as director of public relations for Ball State's College of Communication, Information, and Media and as an associate with The Bohlsen Group, a marketing and public relations company in Indianapolis.

“My day-to-day life is extremely busy. Balancing work, life, and school gets overwhelming at times,” says Hunsberger. “However, the faculty on campus is so supportive, and I’ve been able to create a great support network with fellow students in my cohort.”

For her thesis, Hunsberger is working to enhance the knowledge base of downtown public relations strategies and socio-economic development models. When she graduates in May 2013, she hopes to work for a creative organization that rewards entrepreneurial thinking.

“Considering that Ball State has the only accredited graduate PR program in the nation, and was recently named one of the ‘Top 10 up-and-coming PR programs,’ makes me feel very confident about my decision to come to Ball State,” she says.