Danielle Johnson enjoyed being part of a public relations coup during her internship at the PR firm Ruder Finn: four days of major coverage by the Los Angeles Times of the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s grand opening. Johnson had an integral role in the work that made its way to the Times and other media outlets.

“I never thought that they’d have something about opera or ballet or something not very flashy on the front page for four days,” Johnson says. “It seems like war, politics and disaster dominate the headlines, but we managed to get the center’s opening noticed amongst all of that.”

Johnson has found a way to combine her love for dance and the arts with her academic interest in writing and public relations.

“One of the things I like about the arts is that it can reach people who don’t have other modes of expression, or feel oppressed in some way,” says Johnson, who wants to run a city’s cultural affairs department someday. “Effective PR for theatre and dance helps it reach so many more people.”

Johnson credits her professors with helping to prepare her for landing – and being successful in – the internships of her choice.

“Once my internship directors saw what I know about PR – even though I was just a sophomore – they asked me to write a lot and really be involved,” she says. “Annenberg helps you perfect your craft before you head out to the workplace.”