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A Student Perspective article by Nafissatou Yattassaye
Even in rooms filled with accomplished individuals, doubt can follow quietly. Imposter syndrome, the internal experience of chronic self-doubt despite the success one has obtained, was a common theme that echoed across the Health Communications Career panel. Directed by both the CCNY Advertising and Public Relations (Ad/PR ) program, the student-led American Advertising Federation (AAF) and Public Relations Society of America (PRSSA) club, and supported by CAPAcity, the panel brought together 70 students from the Division of Humanities and Arts to hear from a wide range of professionals. The panel, all CCNY alumni, had a wide range of careers in public health, health communications, advertising, entrepreneurship, account supervision, and integrated marketing. The discussion, held on Wednesday, February 25th, was enlightening, especially for a freshman such as myself: an aspiring journalist and communications professional. What began as a typical Q&A soon developed into a more personal conversation with panelists whose backgrounds reflected the diversity of the students in the room.
Many students, including myself, hear the word “health” and automatically assume it is a role filled by doctors, nurses, registered nurses, and others who provide patient care. But there is another world within the health sector that is as important. Health communications is a profession that demands a wide range of skills, including writing, analytics, and creativity, with the goal of amplifying the voices of companies and representatives of a specific brand or business identity in order to best engage clients. Dashawna Brown, vice president of the AAF (American Advertising Federation) chapter and a junior Communications major, told me that communications is a broad field and that events like this help clarify what students can do with their degrees and skill sets.
A recurring theme of the discussion was how the Ad/PR program equips students with practical skills that translate directly into professional life. Both Eli Joseph, a copy supervisor, and Nicholas Sully, a senior project manager, shared how the Ad/PR program opened doors and introduced them to a wide range of opportunities. During the discussion, panelists reflected on their time at City College and highlighted professors who supported their careers after graduation, including Edward Keller, Javier Garcia, Lynn Appelbaum, and Professor Lynne Scott Jackson. Kuda Timbe, an MBA and account supervisor at Publicis Health, discussed the influence of AI in the industry to date. With the advancement of technology and the need to still meet regulatory requirements, AI is increasingly involved in the communications and Ad/PR worlds. Timbe believes this is currently a challenge, but will be for the better. “AI is helping to enhance work,” and the use of AI that her company performs is a process called first pass, where Artificial Intelligence is able to provide the creatives and clients with more varied points of view. Elizabeth Conney seconded that idea, emphasizing: “taking complex information and making sure that all the stakeholders are getting the information they need is understandable.” Whether that's in support of AI or not, the primary goal is to ensure complex information is distributed.
Panelists also discussed how CCNY helped guide them to where they are today and how they deal with imposter syndrome. As a freshman learning to be more confident walking into rooms and opportunities as a Muslim woman, this panel meant a lot more than just finding a job; I found my community. A common piece of advice across all the panelists, especially from Dominique Chapilin, Director of Communications, Elizabeth Conney, Clinical Research coordinator, and Milana Snow, founder of Integrative Breathwork, was that we need to take initiative and be determined and “hungry,” as they put it, to want to succeed and get our foot in the right door. Snow shared: “I moved myself to the city, came with no money, asked and looked for jobs, and made something work for myself.” This captured the panel’s tone: personal and conversational, with an emphasis on building one-to-one connections across age, culture, skin color, or ethnicity.
That sense of guidance continued after the panel, when Chaplin offered me advice as a freshman interested in a career like hers: “As a Black woman who sometimes walks into rooms with people that look nothing like her, you have to learn how to still show up and be confident regardless of your anxiousness.” She emphasized the importance of overcoming imposter syndrome and of owning and representing who you are and the color of your skin. She even shared some practical videos, such as military practice breathing, for times when I get nervous.
By the end of the event, students had exchanged contact information, connected with panelists on LinkedIn, and gained a clearer picture of the many career paths in health communications. For many of us, the panel showed how skills developed in the Ad/PR program, such as writing, research, and project management, translate into roles across public health, marketing, and communications. Hearing from alumni who once sat in the same classrooms made those career paths feel more tangible. Events like the Health Communications Career Panel introduce students to industry professionals while showing how the experiences and networks built at City College can lead to opportunities after graduation.
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