September 3, 2021
Like many college grads and young professionals who entered the workforce during the pandemic, my first glimpse of Aria Marketing was through a Zoom meeting. However, even though I joined the company as a virtual employee, I immediately knew that it was the right fit for me— so much so that I referred my roommate to also apply to this healthcare public relations agency. I’m happy to say that Elizabeth Coleman, my former Boston University classmate, joined Aria last April as a fellow account coordinator. To introduce Elizabeth to the broader Aria community, I sat down and interviewed her over coffee (in our living room/office) last week.
Maddi: Let’s start off with the basics! Where are you from?
Elizabeth: I’m from the Traverse City area in Michigan.
Maddi: If you could bring any one thing from Michigan to Boston, what would it be?
Elizabeth: Cherry wine! Michigan has a big wine region and is one of the largest exporters of tart cherries, so cherry wine is prevalent in the area. Like traditional grape wines, cherry wines range from sweet to dry. Pairing a glass of sweet cherry wine with dark chocolate is a great way to end any night.
Maddi: What made you want to move to Boston for graduate school?
Elizabeth: I received my B.S. from Northern Michigan University in communication studies, but upon graduation felt that I wanted to focus more specifically in public relations. which is a broad field. Boston University (BU) has the first and one of the best PR programs in the country, so decided to move out to Boston for my master’s program and stayed ever since.
Maddi: Now that you are here, what are some of your favorite places in the city?
Elizabeth: This might sound a bit nerdy, but I really love going to the central branch of the Boston Public Library. It’s so beautiful there and it’s a great place to work. For food, I really love going to Barcelona Wine Bar. They have really yummy eats, and it is a great place to share food with friends…also the Map Room Tea Lounge in the Central Public Library. The drinks are literary-themed, and they are FANTASTIC.
Maddi: We have a lot of Boston University alumni on the Aria team. What is one thing you learned at BU that you think has helped you as you onboard to Aria?
Elizabeth: I learned how to improve my writing skills. For public relations students at BU, there is a writing course that we are required to take that promotes you to become a better writer and teaches you about AP style. In this class, we were taught how to write pitches, social copy, and press releases and at Aria those skills are put to good use.
Maddi: What are some of your hobbies?
Elizabeth: The usuals: reading, cooking, traveling, and I love playing board games and watching movies. I’ve recently gotten into film photography and I’m learning how to develop my own film.
Maddi: As someone who loves movies, what is one that you think everyone should see?
Elizabeth: That’s such a hard question. I can’t name just one, so I’ll give you a few. The Truman Show, Stand by Me, La La Land, and the Three Colours trilogy by Krzysztof Kieslowski.
Maddi: If you could travel to any time period what would it be and why?
Elizabeth: Oooh that’s a good one. I think it’d be fun to travel to most time periods, but I’d really like to pop into the 1920’s. Art deco is one of my favorite styles and I’d love to see it in its prime. But if you ask me again tomorrow, I will probably have a different answer.
Interested in working alongside Elizabeth and me? Aria is still growing, and we would love to meet you. Send your resume and cover letter to Careers@AriaMarketing.com. You can also check us out on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram to learn more.
