Danielle Spitzer

I distinctly remember standing at my University orientation when a counselor asked me, “What is your major? What would you like to do for your career?”  I already answered her silently in mind: I’m 17 and I don’t have a clue. She said, “you seem to be a people person and very outgoing, how about Mass Communications?” That’s how I landed in the Public Relations track with a Communications Studies minor. I wasn’t entirely in love with either, so I chose to get a Marketing Certificate. I knew the only way to see if I was a good fit within the PR field was to experience it. Two PR internships later, it still didn’t feel completely right. Through my internship at a boutique PR firm I became close with one of their clients who asked me what I really wanted to do. I told her I think I’d like producing events for a great cause. She connected me to her friend who worked at a major event company. I interned there for several months and was connected to their client, Keep a Child Alive (KCA). I went to work at KCA planning their annual gala, the Black Ball. This opportunity led to an expansion of my responsibilities to include community events and working with major donors for over 10 years in support of children and families internationally. I’ve always been passionate about education and when I discovered NAF, I immediately connected with the mission as I personally know how valuable work-based learning can be in a student’s future.