May 6, 2021
The Aria team has been working remotely since March of 2020. Of course, this transition came with initial challenges but we are fortunate to be in a profession where we can secure results for our health IT clients from anywhere with a WiFi connection. Despite the tumultuous nature of past year, it has been one of steady growth for Aria, and we are excited that we were able to welcome many new faces to the team!
Maddi Larsen, account coordinator and trivia superstar, joined Aria at the beginning of 2021. I had the pleasure of catching up with her to discuss quarantine hobbies, her background, and why she moved across the country to Boston:
Sean: Give us your elevator pitch – what makes you, you?
Maddi: Growing up as an only child, I spent a lot of my free time reading and writing. I wrote to magazines for their contests and was published in Zoobooks and Scholastic Kids by the time I entered middle school. I also served with National Charity League where I spent time doing community service and I grew to love working with children. When choosing a college, I wanted one that had a strong liberal arts program to help me become a writer, as well as a strong mission to help me be a better person. I chose Saint Mary’s College of California, which was a six-and-a-half hour drive from where I grew up in Orange County.
I absolutely thrived there. It allowed me to pursue writing as well as community service. I worked in the Mission and Ministry Center and when it came time to figure out what I wanted to do post-grad, I decided to spend two years in service as a Lasallian Volunteer since I knew a lot of alumni from the program. I served at an all-boys middle school in Providence, RI and it was such an incredible experience. However, I knew working in communication was my vocation and so I applied to Boston University because I loved its public relations program. Now here I am at Aria!
Sean: Why PR?
Maddi: When I was an undergraduate at Saint Mary’s, I thought that I wanted to go into journalism. I got a job at the Office of College Communication where I practiced media relations and social media. This opportunity taught me that it was public relations I was passionate about. Going to BU only solidified that, and I am happy to now be in a career where I can utilize my passions of connecting with others and creating stories.
Sean: You’re originally from California, what made you choose to relocate to Boston?
Maddi: The first time I went to Boston was back in 2012 when I was doing an east coast college tour and I loved it. While California does have rich history, I really loved being in a place that has towns that are older than our country, as well as seasons. When I was placed in RI for my volunteer program, I took that as my opportunity to research and visit grad schools in this part of the country. I loved BU and already felt drawn to Boston, and so it felt right to move here.
Sean: Favorite place to eat in Boston?
Maddi: That’s tough because I only had six months to explore Boston before Covid-19 shut everything down (always open to recommendations!). My favorite place so far is probably Lolita Cocina. It has really cool vibes and the food was top notch (plus they give you free cotton candy with your bill).
Sean: Most amount of books you’ve read in a year? Favorite book?
Maddi: I average around 12 a year, a book a month, and one of my favorite books right now is Circe by Madeline Miller. I am a big fan of Greek Mythology, and it is a captivating re-telling of the Odyssey through the perspective of the witch and goddess, Circe.
Sean: Have you picked up any quarantine hobbies?
Maddi: Cooking has become more enjoyable to me because I signed up for a meal kit in the beginning of quarantine and through that I have found so many new recipes and flavors. Yoga is really nice too because it’s the perfect combination of mental health and exercise.
Sean: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Maddi: Great Britain. I haven’t been to England or Scotland yet and I really love that culture. Riding the Jacobite train (AKA the Hogwarts train) is second on my overall bucket list, right under seeing the northern lights.
Have a passion for PR and healthcare like Maddi and I? Come join the Aria squad as we are still hiring! Aria is currently looking for a Senior Account Executive and interested candidates can email their resume and cover letter to careers@ariamarketing.com.
