As a student, Louie Deraita ’16 made connections in the classroom, the community and through Greek life that shaped her career.
“I really enjoy helping people,” she said. “I was never great in the sciences, but I liked writing and I felt it was something I was good at.”
When she took Intro to Mass Communication, Deraita discovered an aptitude for public relations.
Her advisor, Professor Lisa Weidman, connected her to internships in Portland and at the McMinnville Chamber of Commerce, while urging her to apply to a larger PR firm when she graduated.
After earning her bachelor’s degree in mass communication, Deraita joined the Portland office of WE Communications on the recommendation of her Alpha Phi sorority sister, Alyssa Townsend ’15, who had been at WE for a year.
“She was honest about what the field is like and was incredibly helpful, offering to look over my resumé and cover letter, which I really appreciated,” Deraita said.
Four years later, Deraita is a senior account executive for WE’s Microsoft account. She ensures that the software company’s PR messages are consistent across products for brands like Dell and Lenovo. “Every brand has a story to tell,” she said. “My job is to connect the brand to the consumer.”
— Ben O’Loughlin ’22
