SEIZING OPPORTUNITY: Students develop confidence through experience in and beyond the classroom in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication.

On the first day of her practicum, Holly Llewellyn discovered she'd joined a public relations agency.

"It's up to all of you whether this firm succeeds or fails," Professor John Mims told her and her peers that day.

And it was. Through the next few months, Llewellyn and 40 other students, some in the practicum and some dedicating their time to the agency outside of class, ran a real-world operation by creating campaigns, graphics and messaging for nonprofit organizations and businesses in the city of High Point.

And Llewellyn rose to the rank of agency director.

Llewellyn, a senior from Glenview, Illinois, majoring in strategic communication with a minor in marketing, was drawn to the agency because she wanted to use her skills in a real-world scenario. The agency allowed her to work directly with clients--an experience she'd never been exposed to.

"It has been a unique and eye-opening journey for me," she says." Running an agency is not an easy task, but I am glad to have had the chance. Whether we, as an agency, failed or succeeded was up to us. This gave me and my peers the opportunity to put everything we have learned so far to use."

Mims is a public relations and marketing professional with 20 years of experience. He designed the course to support the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication's public relations agency, Ascension 336. The student-run agency utilizes the creative minds of High Point University students to produce innovative advertising campaigns for a wide range of businesses, nonprofit organizations and groups within the city. The practicum course focuses on supervised, practical application of PR tactics within the agency.

Mims has advised Ascension 336 since the agency's inception in the fall of 2016. The agency was established by Mims'20-person practicum class, but quickly grew to include additional students who"interned"for the agency. Now, with expanded practicum classes, the agency is comprised of 40 working members.

And this year, the growth continued. The agency expanded in student involvement, the client list increased and most importantly, students further grew themselves into industry leaders.

"I've always had my sights set on working for established brands, but this has proven to be an exciting challenge," says Llewellyn. "Ascension 336 is unique in the sense that there is an 'anything is possible' attitude. Ideas come to life in this supportive environment and students are able to bring their skills to the next level."

As for Mims--he's become a mentor...