Graduate Students Attend "RediscoveRosarito" Film Festival Using GSA Professional Development Grants

Communication Management graduate students Taja Glover, Montita Pongtana, and Lin Zhou, as well as Integrated Marketing Communication student Shih-wen Lo, attended a film festival that was a part of the “RediscoveRosarito” project. They did so using the Graduate Student Association (GSA)’s Professional Development Grant opportunity.

According to the project's website, "the RediscoveRosarito project is an ongoing image restoration campaign for the city of Rosarito, Mexico. . . . RediscoveRosarito is committed to restoring Rosarito's image through discourse, dialogue, and a comprehensive online communication strategy." Taja Glover states that “the purpose of this trip was to celebrate the young people who participated in our film festival this past summer and to continue our work on the image restoration campaign for the beachfront resort town.”

Taja Glover and Montita Pongtana were able to apply the skills that they have learned in their courses at Emerson toward the RediscoveRosarito project. Ms. Glover says that “going on this trip allowed me to see first-hand the real life application of the material we have covered in Dr. Payne's Public Affairs and Crisis Communication Class.” Ms. Pongtana agrees, saying she is “taking crisis communication at the moment and joining this project has offered me a chance to apply what I have learned in class to the real life situation.”

Lin Zhou and Shih-wen Lo were able to learn new skills from their experience. Ms. Zhou states that “through this event, I got to know a lot of people who are also committed to promoting Rosarito and developing in the industry of public relations. Having great conversation with them, I gained deep insights regarding communication.” Ms. Lo also says that during the project, she was able “to examine how a tourist hotspot like Rosarito, Mexico rebuilds its brand reputation and image.”

View more information on Professional Development Grants for graduate students, then contact the GSA at GSAInfo@emerson.edu.