On an average Tuesday afternoon, Montclair State University’s campus is buzzing with students going to class and grabbing food. In Morehead Hall’s downstairs lounge, Sabrina Araullo is usually preparing what to discuss at her public relations society meeting later that day.
The senior public relations major can often be found down there with her notebook, planner and MacBook sprawled across the table in front of her. Between classes and meetings, she does homework, takes calls and refreshes her email. She is far more sophisticated and professional than other college students her age—she has even been mistaken for a professor by other faculty members despite her tiny size.
Araullo has dedicated most of her final year of college to helping other students succeed. As soon as she became president of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter at Montclair State, she started up the school’s first student-run public relations agency. Through it, she hopes to give her fellow classmates real-world experience.
“It was my natural inclination to put everyone before myself,” Araullo said.
She also serves as the vice president and director of content strategy for Montclair State’s chapter of Her Campus, which is an online magazine geared toward college women. With both of these organizations, she sets up speakers, workshops and resume reviews to help students get the most out of their time.
Araullo doesn’t stop with on-campus organizations though. Along with having four past internships, she is also the brand manager for a local beauty boutique called Chelsea Square, communications manager for Montclair News Lab, and project manager for a new digital development agency.
Even with all of her success so far, Araullo has a couple of people to credit some of her skills to. She is lucky enough to have been influenced by Gregory Costanzo, the former Career Services director for the College of the Arts.
“He really pushed me to develop myself professionally,” she said. “He helped me find out the skills that I needed, work on [those] skills and really guide me through the entire process of developing who I am.”
Sabrina Araullo answers emails on her phone.
Amina Abdelrahman | The Montclarion
One of Araullo’s professors, Larry Weiner, also served as a great mentor to her throughout her time at Montclair State. Weiner, the faculty advisor for the PRSSA, was the one who got her started in the public relations industry. She says the professor also helped advise her on her career as a whole, not just the organization they are a part of together.
Araullo takes her efforts another step further by mentoring younger students. She currently mentors two students at Montclair State: freshman Lauren Clemente and sophomore Katelyn Woebse.
“Seeing everything Sabrina has accomplished at such a young age is truly inspiring and makes me want to push myself even further,” Clemente said. “With everything I’m learning from her, I know I’ll able to make it where I want to be.”
Those who work alongside Araullo find she is an outstanding member of any executive board.
“She dedicates herself 100 percent to everything she does with sincere passion,” said Danielle Pransky, president of Her Campus and graduate student at Montclair State.
Sabrina Araullo shoots photos with her camera.
Photo courtesy of Sabrina Araullo’s Instagram
After graduation, Araullo wants to work at a public relations or marketing agency.
“Somewhere where I’m able to work across multiple clients, gain even more insight into different industries and really hone in on where I want to take my next steps,” Araullo said.
She hopes that her successors at these campus organizations continue the hard work she has put in during the past four years.
“I like being able to say that what I’m doing is influencing the people around me or leaving a positive impact on the school or the public relations program,” Araullo said.
