UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Danielle Sanois has found about every possible way to succeed at Penn State, in the classroom and beyond, and this week she’s traveling to New York City because of her latest accomplishment.
Sanois, an advertising/public relations major and consistent Dean’s List presence, was one of 25 students selected by the American Advertising Federation for its Most Promising Student program, which connects industry leaders with the nation’s top college seniors. The program benefits companies hoping to recruit talented professionals while preparing industry’s next generation of prospects for career success.
After applying for the program late last fall and completing an interview process, Sanois will travel to New York City from Feb. 24-27 as part of the AAF program. The four days include networking sessions, a pitch competition and more.
“It’s an exciting opportunity. It’s going to be a great to meet with so many people and learn what’s out there,” Sanois said. “Based on my experiences, an agency role might interest me to start my career, and maybe more of a strategy role than a creative one, but there’s so much to explore.”
Sanois has consistently used hard work, talent and a good bit of strategy to find success during her career at Penn State. Her strategy was grounded in curiosity and pragmatism — trying a variety of opportunities and knowing how and when to balance her time.
She’s a member of Penn State’s team in the National Student Advertising Competition, coordinated by the AAF, and she’s completed internships with Penn State football, Warner Bros., LaFORCE, and the Ethos Group.
The variety of experiences includes two different roles with the football program (name, image and likeness and, separately, recruiting). At Warner Bros. she focused on talent relations and events, including the premiere of the big-budget movie “F1” in New York City’s Times Square. And at LaFORCE, she focused on corporate and consumer relations related to the beauty industry.
Along with the internships, Sanois has served as peer mentor, teaching assistant and Bellisario College Fellow. She worked a couple semesters with CommAgency, the student-driven communications agency housed in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, and she continues to participate with “Culture Central,” a student produced TV show.
When Sanois arrived at Penn State from her small high school in Queens, New York, she admits she felt a bit anxious — but a little encouragement helped her get started. For that, she credits Gary Abdullah, the Bellisario College’s assistant dean for diversity and inclusion.
“Penn State is big, so it can take time to navigate. I thought I was ambitious in high school, but I’ve done so much more here than there,” Sanois said. “Everybody tells you to get involved but Gary was pushing from the beginning. He straight up told me I had to get involved to succeed.”
Sanois has done both — get involved and succeed. She’s balanced her time because she’s a list maker (a combination of Google sheets and handwritten reminders) and, she said, because she works hard at the start of each day and disconnects at night, focusing then on listening to podcasts or spending time with friends.
She has also disconnected from some activities, she said. While she credits CommAgency for giving her real-world opportunities almost immediately and helping develop skills that enabled her to thrive in subsequent internships, she stepped away from the organization when her schedule filled, and she felt she was not ready to give her best to that endeavor.
“My goal is to give 100% to whatever I do, and that can be a lot when you’re doing a lot,” she said. “Maybe what I’ve been best at has been managing my time, so I can do things and also know when it’s becoming too much.”
So far, she said, she’s been able to manage things well — and she hopes her success might resonate with the people she meets in New York City.