1. Katherine Fikes
University of Oklahoma
Portfolio

2. Table of Contents
Resume -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2
Portfolio
Press Release -------------------------------------------------------------------------------4
Pitch Letter ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------5
Interview ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6
Feature Story -------------------------------------------------------------------------------8
Creative ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10

3. Katherine Fikes
katherinefikes@ou.edu
210-413-1515
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Lindsey + Asp, Norman, Ok
May 2013 – Present
Community Alliances, Fort Sill
o Responsible for contacting and pitching to several organizations in Lawton to
create official partnerships with Fort Sill
OU Foundation
o Recreating 220 newsletters to be sent to donors on behalf of the University of
Oklahoma
Public Relations Chair, Chi Omega Norman, Ok
January 2013 – Present
•
Maintained all social media associated with the sorority
Recreated and updated social media including creating a HootSuite account
Entirely redesigned the chapter’s website
•
Ran several campaigns for Recruitment 2013 as well as multiple events
•
Responsible for keeping a high chapter morale
Mentorship Committee Chair, PRSSA Norman, Ok
August 2013-Present
Created a beneficial mentorship program for all members of PRSSA
Responsible for an entire committee and running biweekly meetings
Sponsorship Committee Chair, PRSSA Regional Conference, Norman, Ok
October 2013-Present
In charge of raising $7,500 in sponsorship for the 1 st PRSSA Regional Conference in
the Southwest region
Dream Course Host, Public Relations Research, Norman Ok
August 2013 – Present
Selected as one of six from a class of 75 students to serve as a host for eight guest speakers
throughout the semester
Represented the University of Oklahoma and the Gaylord College throughout these events
Team Leader, Leadership Academy Norman, Ok
Summer 2013
Responsible for helping the Lindsey + Asp public relations agency operate during the summer
Spent extensive time learning leadership skills
Wish Granter, Make-a-Wish Oklahoma City, Ok
February 2012-Present
•
Served as a liaison between the wish child and his/her family and the Make-a-Wish foundation
•
Met with wish families frequently for both formal and informal purposes
•
Handle all paperwork and documents necessary to grant the wish
HONORS & AWARDS

4. OU Scholars Program
Dean's Honor Roll
ACTIVITIES
OU PRSSA Member
Chi Omega Member
EDUCATION
University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
BA in Journalism and Mass Communication
Major: Public Relations (GPA: 3.25)
Minor: General Business
Graduation Date: May 2015 GPA: 3.46

5. Katherine Fikes
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF OHIO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 2013
Xavier Discovers Impact of Cell Phones in Classrooms
CINCINNATI, OHIO – Professors at Xavier University have released
information on the impact of interruptions in the classroom via cellular devices.
The experiments prove that cell phones do serve as a distraction in
academic settings. They demonstrated this by putting 32 undergraduate students
in a room to take lecture notes on a movie, while having the disruption during the
movie at two predetermined times.
“We also set up a control room of 39 undergraduate students in order to
monitor the same results from a group of people who did not receive the cell
phone disturbance,” Mary Bridget Matthews, a professor at Xavier University
who hosted the experiment said.
Each member who participated in the experiment then took a multiplechoice comprehension test over what they had just seen in the video. The team
then used a series of mathematical equations to compare the results.
“Findings indicated that cell phone rings during a video presentation
impaired academic performance,” Xavier professor, Shayne Worthman said.
For more information on the experiment and the results visit
http://goo.gl/TZjqT.
###

6. Pitch Letter
Dear Mr. Bondy,
As you know, the 2010 FIFA World Cup did amazing things to expand the
world’s awareness of soccer in South Africa. The amount of international support
has grown exponentially since the tournament, much of it coming from the
United States. Starting January 19, South Africa will be hosting the Africa Cup of
Nations, an annual soccer tournament featuring several of the different African
countries.
Since the United States has been so supportive of soccer in South Africa
over the past few years, New York City in particular, we want to reach out in
hopes of your attendance. The Africa Cup of Nations is very similar to a Final
Four tournament in Africa. The best teams will compete in hopes of winning the
tournament. This will be a very competitive year between many of the countries,
promising for some great soccer games.
In addition to the tournament, South Africa is a great tourist city that
brings in hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. With opportunities
ranging from jungle safaris to river rafting, there is something for everyone who
comes to the tournament that you cannot get anywhere else. There is also plenty
of history in the country. This wide variety is sure to be appealing to the culture
and sports fans in New York City.
We are very eager about this upcoming tournament and all of the great
soccer that will be played. After having a chance to review the material, I will be
emailing you to see if you would be interested in pursuing a story. For more
information, feel free to contact me at 210-888-8888.
Thank you for your consideration,
Katherine Fikes

7. Couple Moves to Norman to Provide Unique Pet Boutique
Tucked away in a back corner of the Brookhaven shopping center sits a
seven-month-old pet boutique that thrives off of its character and charm.
Founded by Brent and Hillary Conley, The Sparkly Spot describes itself as a pet
boutique and pawlour.
Brent and Hillary had previously lived in Minnesota, but once Brent had
been laid off of his job along with 600 employees, the couple had decided they
wanted to move back to their original homes in Oklahoma. While in Minnesota,
the dog-loving couple had fallen in love with an original pet boutique. Hillary had
always wanted to open her own store named Sparkle and had realized there was
not a store similar to this beloved pet store in Minnesota. Upon arriving back in
Norman, Hillary pursued her dream of opening a store, The Sparkly Spot and
knew with the huge market of dog lovers in the area, felt that this store could be a
success.
The Sparkly Spot takes pride in being one of the only places to find high
quality pet care and the healthiest toys and treats for any dog.
“We offer a variety of quality beds, clothing and treats for dogs,” Hillary
said. “These are items you cannot find in your typical PetSmart or Target which is
something that keeps our customers always coming back.”
Something very special about The Sparkly Spot experience is the
relationship both Brent and Hillary make with each and every owner and their
pets. Recognizing how important consumer loyalty is to their business, this duo
strives to create a friendship with each of their customers and allow their pets to
have a personalized experience.
“Each customer and their pet have a story and we genuinely love to learn
what they are all about,” Hillary said. “These customers keep me motivated
because I know they value our quality and I never want to let up on that.”
Additionally, The Sparkly Spot offers a variety of pet grooming services in
their Pet Pawlour for both cats and dogs. There are a variety of options for
owners to choose from, however Hillary promises that their groomers are capable
of providing any service an owner may desire. The most popular service is the

8. Sparkly Day Spa for dogs, which includes an all natural bath and blow out, nail
trimming, ears cleaned, anal gland expression and a full body styling.
Hillary takes much pride in the fact that all of their dog treats are 100%
natural and are wheat and soy free, something that is extremely hard to find,
especially in the Norman area.
“We are also the only store in the entire Midwest region that sells Chrome
Bones, an everyday luxury pet product,” Hillary said. “We have customers that
come from all over the state exclusively for this product. It’s great to see the
brand loyalty.”
This will be The Sparkly Spot’s first time to prepare for the holidays and
Hillary could not be more excited. In the center of the store stands a huge
decorated Christmas tree along with several items ideal for a pet during
Christmas time.
“I stayed here decorating our Christmas tree for hours,” Hillary said.
“There was glitter everywhere, but it’s fun getting to decorate my own store and
make it festive for the holidays. I know our customers will be very excited.”
Additionally, the couple has a dog themselves: an Irish terrier named
Lucy. She has served as an inspiration for many of the products they purchase for
their customers.
Overall, Hillary has high hopes for the company. It proves to be a pet
boutique unlike any other in the area, which creates the ability for a variety of
customers to be drawn into the business.
“It’s amazing how this company has taken off in just seven months,”
Hillary said. “It blows me away and I could not be happier to have the chance to
live out a dream of mine. I hope to continue to provide the Norman and
Oklahoma area a unique shopping and grooming experience for their pets.”

9. Local Nurse Packs Up, Moves to Australia
As our Tulsa weather shifts from hot summer to a refreshing fall, Rebecca
Sooner is making the exact opposite transition. Her days are getting warmer as
she adjusts to a new life with December summers in Australia. After divorcing her
husband of five years, Sooner decided to pack up her belongings and join the Rio
Tinto Pilbara mining team as a nurse in Western Australia.
Having grown up in Tulsa, Okla. her entire life, leaving to go to another
country, much less continent proved to be challenging. This, however, was a job
opportunity and experience Sooner could not pass up.
“My family never traveled while I have always had a sense of adventure
and wanted to see the world,” Sooner said. “The only vacations I saw as a child
were to Arkansas to visit my grandma every Christmas.”
Upon finalizing her divorce this past June, Sooner felt as though the
timing and experience was perfect given her situation. After going through a
tough time, a change of pace was necessary.
“It was a messy divorce, nothing was easy about it,” Sooner said. “Once it
was finalized, I decided I needed to get away from everything familiar and
completely start over in every aspect of my life.”
Her time in Rio Tinto has not been the easiest experience. Being an
American woman and working in a mining town presents its own variety of
difficulties. With the brutal mining summers coming up, there is bound to be
challenges for Sooner who employed as a nurse, will have to tend to many who
commonly become ill from heat exhaustion.
“I knew it was not going to be an easy job,” Sooner said. “However, I did
not move to the other side of the world an easy life. I definitely wanted a
challenge.”
However, living in a mining town has many perks, which Sooner has not
overlooked. Due to the small size and lack of activities, people in mining towns
tend to create strong relationships amongst their fellow employees. Sooner is also
experiencing standard working hours that very rarely fluctuate, unlike her old
nursing job in Tulsa.

10. Ultimately, this adjustment has tested Sooner in many ways, but it seems
as though she will rise up to the challenge. The experience is providing her the
cultural change and personal growth she desired.
“At the end of the day, this is where I want to be and I would not trade this
experience for anything,” Sooner said.

11. To view my creative works please visit the following websites:
www.ou.edu/chiomega
This is a website I completely recreated as public relations chair of my
social sorority. In order to put forth a presentable website, I completely
recreated the outline, format and writing presented throughout the
website.
https://vimeo.com/73112323
This is a video I created as the public relations chair of my social
sorority. This video displays my iMovie skills as well as ability to
compile meaningful and captivating pictures and coordinate them
effectively with music.