Communication/journalism student Sylvia McMullen has a public relations emphasis and is currently the assistant public relations director for The Slate. McMullen joined the staff in fall 2015 and has held multiple positions including assistant web director and web director.

McMullen extends her public relations work by working on the public relations committee for Reach Out, which is an initiative of the honors program at Shippensburg University. Each year Reach Out is involved in a fundraiser on campus to raise money to buy school supplies for children. McMullen was chosen to go on the service-learning trip this year to the Dominican Republic. While there, McMullen taught lessons about sustainability and recycling to students at a local school. The students helped with a street cleanup, made instruments out of recyclable materials and went on a field trip to the botanical gardens.

McMullen’s mission in life is to spread love and bring people happiness.

“My motto is peace, love and good vibes. It’s what I live for,” McMullen said.

McMullen spreads her motto through her work as a volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The foundation raises money to fund the wishes of kids with life-threatening illnesses.

“I love volunteering for an organization that keeps the light of their souls alive in difficult times,” McMullen said.

McMullen also hopes to eventually be a Wish Granter, who helps makes kids’ wishes come true.

Having a love for animals, McMullen was a volunteer at Better Days Animal League. It is a no-kill shelter that strives to get every furry friend adopted into a new home.

“Pets rely on their humans for everything, and I was happy to be one of the humans that the dogs and cats relied on,” McMullen said.

McMullen helped run social media and created a video to promote a senior dog that has been at the shelter her whole life. The video has more than 600,000 views and was shared by a popular dog magazine, Dogster. At home, she is the proud owner of a cat named Scooty and hopes to have more animals in the future such as cats, rabbits and even a tortoise.

Between school and spreading happiness, McMullen enjoys spending her free time listening to music. Her favorite genre of music is classic rock. Some of the bands she has seen live include RUSH, Black Sabbath, The Who and Paul McCartney.

“I am always looking for new bands to see,” McMullen said. “I am also seeing The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Iron Maiden this year too, which I’m totally stoked about.”

McMullen’s high spirit and cheerfulness shines through her work and personality. After graduation, she pictures herself writing grants, doing research or creating fundraisers for a charity.

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