Izzy Laurita
Izzy Laurita kicked off her Georgia State career in 2021 as a new name on the women’s soccer roster. Now a senior, Laurita, who has made her mark in the Honors College, has traded her post on the field for one on the university’s Public Relations and Marketing Communications team.
Interview by Jordan Ferguson
What is your major, and why did you choose it?
I am a management major [through the J. Mack Robinson College of Business] with a concentration in human resources. Coming in, I was a finance major, and through one of my classes, I did an informational interview with a finance manager. I ended up really listening to what he was saying, and I thought to myself, “This is not something that’s going to make me happy.” I had to think about different areas where I thought I’d be successful. My professor at the time had recommended changing my major to human resource management. I did another informational interview with a human resources manager, and she was talking about what she does and why she got into human resources. I thought, “This is something that I think I would enjoy because it’s more people oriented.” It’s a position where you can help employees and give employees a voice in companies. It’s something that attracted me to this career.
What type of internships and career-related opportunities have you had at Georgia State?
I had an internship with Aflac this past summer, where I got to work as part of the leadership learning and development team. I developed my own class that I taught to my intern cohort about managing the transition from being a full-time student to a full-time employee and working in a corporate environment. I also got to learn the ins and outs of a corporate company and put together different series to bring to teams, seeing how companies deliver their training to employees and give them empowerment and a voice in the company.
Another opportunity I’ve had was to become the president of our SHRM chapter. SHRM is the Society for Human Resource Management. My professor recommended I join this organization, and I’m glad I did. As president, I’ve been networking and bringing companies and speakers onto campus to talk about their experiences and teach our chapter members what human resources looks like as a career. We’ve had many companies to come and speak with us, so that’s been cool.
Are you involved in any other extracurricular activities?
I am a student worker for the Public Relations and Marketing Communications division on campus. I do a lot of the internal communications between college communicators, getting staff and faculty their portraits, and also getting people the appropriate images they need. I’ve also gotten to work with Grace Davenport, the social media coordinator for the social sites, and I’ve been able to learn how we want to represent our university on social media. I’ve been able to attend and be in a lot of fun events, stories and posts.
I’ve taken the things I’ve learned in my student-assistant job to my role as the social media coordinator for Delight Ministries. It’s a women’s face-to-face faith group that fosters community and shares stories. We host weekly Bible study. Part of my job is to share the opportunities and events we’re doing and lead Bible studies for our group.
You have one more year left at Georgia State. Where do you see yourself going after graduation?
I’m very hopeful about my future and am still working on what direction I can go. However, I see myself working in the human resources space, specifically either in talent acquisition or on a leadership learning and development team. I’m very open to considering any opportunities that come my way. Additionally, I think I’ll return to school sometime in the future to get my MBA, but I think I want to get some experience working first.
Would you recommend Georgia State for future students looking into the university?
I would definitely recommend Georgia State. I think that the professors on campus are amazing. Georgia State provides many opportunities in terms of getting involved in clubs and networking. I also think it’s a very diverse campus, so you can meet someone new every day and learn something new every day here. Part of the college experience is just learning and growing into who you are. Being in downtown Atlanta can help you to figure out yourself and figure out what you like, and help you get direction for the rest of your life.
