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The keys to Alyse Diamantides’s communications career were right around the corner at Salem State. A passionate writer since the eighth grade, Alyse knew she was bound for a creative career. Now as a digital content specialist at the Peabody Essex Museum, she puts her degree to work in new ways each day, from exhibition materials and web content to email and event promotion.

As a student at St. Mary's High School in Lynn, Alyse looked at schools close by, in the city and in Western Massachusetts. Salem State was a top contender: falling in love with the campus on a tour and receiving the competitive Paul Tsongas Scholarship helped make the decision an easy one.

“Every communications professor I met at Salem State had experience working in the field,” Alyse recalled. “I made incredible connections before graduation, and even years after, there is such a close-knit community in the department.”

While the demands of commuting to school and working part-time were significant, Alyse found plenty of company with students facing similar schedules. “Working together was easier because so many of my peers were in the same boat,” she noted. In addition to getting involved in PRSSA, Alyse was also a part of the Commonwealth Honors Program. Now as a professional in the field, multi-tasking is second nature.

Alyse’s wide-ranging internships, from journalism to public relations, gave her the experience to hit the ground running after her graduation in 2018. Her manager at a summer capstone internship at the Peabody Essex Museum became a lifelong mentor and friend. While she spent some time in both journalism and in public relations agency life, she found her niche at the PEM, where she has spent the last five years. She even uses her graphic design minor on a daily basis. “Having that creative eye and background is so helpful in my day-to-day work,” she said.

In addition to the support of her professors, Alyse also loved the camaraderie of her fellow classmates in the media and communications program. She reflected, “particularly when you get into those last few classes in your concentration, everyone is so invested in what they’re learning and motivated to do their work well. You really find your people.”