Thinking Strategically: Opportunities Abound for Newhouse Students Interested in Advertising, PR 

Newhouse students interested in a career in strategic communications can work with real-world clients from around the country without leaving Central New York. And they’ll gain that hands-on experience working in firms run by student leaders eager to help others learn and grow. 

Advertising students can work at TNH, the largest student-run ad agency in the nation. For public relations students, Hill Communications has established itself as a top student-run firm since launching two decades ago. Learn more about these opportunities that help students apply the skills they’re learning in the classroom to use helping real clients build their brand and strengthen their reputation.  

TNH 

“The reason I started [TNH] was because we have no advertising industry in Syracuse,” said Ed Russell, associate professor and chair of the advertising department. “Every spring semester we had students that wanted to do internships, but we had nowhere to send them. We started this just so they would have the ability to gain that experience.” 

Russell serves in an advising role to the student leadership, which this past spring included Cole Meredith ’25, TNH president. He described TNH’s mission as an avenue to give students practical experience in the advertising world and a better sense of life at an ad agency.  

Taking on real-world clients from Central New York and around the country, TNH is structured like a professional ad agency. Notable clients have included Bacardi, Nissan, Doritos and Tide. Each client has a tangible problem that needs to be solved, Meredith said, and students work hard to find a solution.  

“We do everything we can to produce the client work on a timely schedule, so each week progresses towards a final presentation,” Meredith said.

During a typical week, student teams meet and work to develop pitches and campaigns for clients. Students engage in strategic planning, audience analysis, media planning and more. Through these partnerships, students make meaningful professional connections, meet deadlines, provide deliverables and gain practical experience.  

Periodic LinkedIn workshops and alumni speaker panels also provide career-building skills and opportunities for mentorship.  

“Every year that I’ve been part of TNH, I’ve met a whole new group of friends,” Meredith said. “Everybody is so happy to be there, and everyone wants to do the work, so you meet a lot of like-minded people, and it’s great to form those connections.” 

Russell encourages all Syracuse students to join, regardless of discipline and experience. Every year, TNH continues to grow and open the door for Newhouse students to succeed in the world of advertising. He gives a lot of the credit to students like Meredith who have poured their time into TNH. 

“When I retire soon, this is going to probably be my proudest accomplishment, and it’s not my accomplishment, it’s Cole’s,” Russell said. 

Hill Communications 

A student-run boutique public relations firm at the Newhouse School, Hill Communications was led in 2024-25 by Aviya Garg ’25, with professor of practice and department chair Anthony D’Angelo serving as faculty adviser. 

Also known as “Hill Comm,” the firm is a “classic learn-by-doing exercise [where] you’re confronted with real client challenges or problems,” D’Angelo said. It’s up the Hill Comm “to come up with strategies that meet a need and then equip the strategies with the practical tools. It’s both the strategic thinking and the tactical development.” 

Students can fill a variety of positions within Hill Comm, beginning as early as their first semester on campus. Members develop expertise in social media, press releases, content creation, media outreach and more, with many tasks overlapping with concepts students are learning in the classroom. They also expand their professional network, as reflected in the Spring 2025 semester’s alumni panel and networking event Hill Comm hosted with SUPRSSA and healthcare PR agency Chamberlain PR. 

“This is exactly why we do what we do: Expose students to new and unexpected corners of the communications industry, helping them discover paths they may not have previously considered,” Garg said.

“Hill Comm makes you stand out in a number of ways, whether it’s deepening your impact with Newhouse, but also, if you want to apply for an internship or a job, this is great experience to have on your resumé and a great organization to be part of if you want to grow your relationship with other PR students,” Garg added.

One of Hill Comm’s clients is the Annietober 365 Foundation, which works to fund leukemia research while honoring Newhouse student Annie Eisner, who passed away from the disease in 2023. As giving back is another essential piece of Hill Comm’s mission, working with the foundation has been particularly inspiring for Garg.  

“It’s been a really great collaboration to keep the memory of a fellow PR student alive and give back to a wider community to spread awareness on a really serious illness,” Garg said. 

“This is exactly what I signed up to do,” she added. “How can we exercise our PR skills while making an impact?”