MSU Women’s Hockey Player, Nikki Siciliano, Stars in Her Own PR Experience
Nikki Siciliano, a public relations major, brings a unique twist to her education by utilizing theatre, hockey and PR
By: Adrienne Siemen
Some students are called to Michigan State University by their Spartan upbringing, but for Nikki Siciliano, MSU chose her.
Recruited by the former head coach of the MSU Women’s Hockey Team, Siciliano came to MSU with a goal in mind: find a way to combine creative and technical elements in writing while balancing life as a student athlete. She found that public relations was the perfect path for her abilities.
“I really like the PR industry and how it kind of covers such a wide scope because I can work in whatever industry I would like,” said Siciliano.
Not long after declaring a public relations major, Siciliano learned about Roial Players (linked here), a student-run performance art group who focus on building an open and highly interactive environment for all students and majors. Roial puts on several plays and improvisational comedy shows each semester, giving students opportunities to direct, write, make films, compose music, work backstage and design advertisements.
Hoping to improve her own improv and writing skills, she joined the club as a writer and worked on the editor’s panel. As a sophomore, Siciliano worked diligently and as a senior, she worked as a head writer, a director and is an active member on the improv troupe.
“I laugh because so many people think it’s weird that I’m a hockey player that also loves theater and I go, no, you got it all wrong: I’m a theater person that also plays hockey,” said Siciliano.
Through the wild mix of hockey and theatre, she says she feels a close tie to public relations and her coursework. Utilizing skills such as writing press releases and pitching newspapers to cover their shows, Siciliano feels that although the writing is not the same for both, the underlying skills it takes to work quickly and effectively are what make public relations a fulfilling career path.
“Working in a fast-paced environment can be challenging but learning how to create high quality work quickly is a rewarding skill.”
Learn more about Roial Players online at https://rcah.msu.edu/current-students/student-organizations/roial.html.
