Today@Sam Article
Commencement Spotlight: Enrique Paz
May 8, 2024
SHSU Media Contact: Emilee White
Enrique Paz
Tomball, Texas
Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications, Public Relations and Advertising
When graduating Bearkat Enrique Paz first came to Sam Houston State University, he didn’t expect to get involved with as many things as he has over the years. As a mass communication major with a concentration in public relations and advertising, Paz naturally gravitated to the Public Relations Student Society of America.
Although he loves working within the creative side of content communications, he kept a marketing minor with the College of Business Administration. This introduced him to courses including Digital Marketing and Consumer Behavior. The growing passion led him to join the marketing club based within that college.
If you thought that’s all Paz was involved in, you’d be wrong. In addition to the student organizations, Paz is a street team member for the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) department and joined Channel 7 News, the university TV station, as a news anchor and reporter. Paz was also a producer for the Spanish newscasts and was on Spanish radio 90.5 El Gato.
“Student organizations allow you to make valuable friendships, and it's important for me to have done that, especially with like-minded people,” Paz said. “It's nice to be able to talk to people who share the same passions as you. It's like a breath of fresh air collaborating with others on topics including photography and content creation. I also loved participating in exciting events on campus and traveling across the state with everyone. It's a common headspace.”
While juggling everything was challenging and caused Paz to overcome strenuous obstacles, he always used it as motivation. In some instances, Paz was lucky enough to apply what he was learning while gaining real-world experience, which helped motivate him to keep going because he knew he’d get something out of his hard work, even if things didn’t go according to plan.
At the beginning of his senior year in Nov. 2023, Paz and his friends decided to compete in the American Advertising Federation competition in Houston. The group figured they could compete together, but once they arrived, they were soon separated into random groups for the competition. While Paz didn’t know his teammates, he knew he wanted to win.
“I was with people I had never met a day in my life and I kept wondering how we were going to win,” Paz said. “My team ended up placing first in the challenge. I had never gotten such a high award in a university setting here in Houston. I made my professors and my parents proud. I got to brag about it at work. It felt gratifying.”
Paz plans to continue his career in marketing communications after graduation but wants to keep his options open when considering different industries to work in. He previously worked for a restaurant promoting food in addition to what he’s done for IMC. As for his fellow Bearkats, Paz urges you to get involved and connect with people across campus. Even with different interests or paths, you never know where it may lead.
“Take those opportunities, but also, just have faith that everything's going to work out fine,” he said.
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