Name: Kristen Allbritton
Age: 31
Hometown: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Where you live now: Frisco, Texas
Your major(s)/minor(s) at the U of A: Major: journalism/pre-medicine program; Minor: political science
If you could go back, you would major in? Why? I would still choose to major in journalism — I love being able to express myself through words, both verbally and on paper. I would probably have focused a bit more on multimedia and digital media, just to adjust with the times, but I don’t regret pursuing my journalism degree!
What you do for a living (work and fun): I currently work in marketing and public relations for an architecture firm in Fort Worth. This job allows me to use my skills learned from my journalism degrees. My fun time is reserved for watching sports, reading, going to concerts, trying new craft beers and traveling when I get the chance! I just enjoy hanging out and having a good time with friends and family.
Something you wish you had done, that you didn’t, while you were in school: I wish I had taken the time to study abroad. That is the one thing I look back on and regret I didn’t do, especially after talking to students who participated in the program. I traveled abroad during college, but spending two weeks in Europe for leisure is just an entirely different experience than truly living somewhere.
One thing you were glad you did while you were at the U of A: I am glad I was so involved while in school! I participated in 10+ extracurricular activities, but if I had to choose just one in which I would say I can look back and be glad I participated, it would be Student Alumni Board. My involvement in SAB helped develop me not only as a team player within an organization, but even more so, as a leader down the road. It taught me valuable skills and connected me with a great group of people — both inside and outside the alumni association!
Advice you would offer students or new graduates: My one piece of advice is to make your college experience your own. You are doing this for you — not for your parents, not for a partner, not for your kids. If you enjoy being involved, then great, be as involved as you can! If you prefer a more low-key atmosphere, there is an avenue for that at the university. The U of A experience is not a one-size-fits-all; you have to tailor your experience to your interests. The one thing you don’t want to do is look back and regret not pursuing something you wanted to do.
