Hannah Garcia, Content Manager, Buckingham Browne and Nichols
Personal bio:
I graduated from Cornell in 2022 with a BS in communication and a minor in history. After working in athletics in college through an internship with the MLS and for the Cornell Athletic Department, I branched out to include other things in my career. I currently work at an independent school in Cambridge where I do photography, social media, short and long form writing, and everything else required of a communications professional.
What year did you win your NYWICI Scholarship?
2021
What did receiving a NYWICI scholarship mean to you?
It was affirming to know that I was on the right path and a true honor to be recognized by an icon in sports journalism Ann Liguori
How has receiving the NYWICI scholarship helped with your career?
It made visible to me all of the inspiring women in communications in NY that I didn’t know and I felt like I was joining a distinguished community.
How do you plan to give back to the NYWICI community or pay it forward?
While I’m not stationed in NYC, I’d be happy to help other NYWICI members by giving advice or speaking about my experiences.
Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for future scholarship applicants?
Embrace all of the twists and turns that life throws your way. You may not end up doing what you imagined but you’ll figure it out. And don’t worry if you don’t have it all figured out right away, there’s plenty of time to grow and change.
Laura Foti, CMO, Specright
Personal bio:
Laura is the Chief Marketing Officer at Specright, the first cloud-based platform for Specification Management. Specright has been recognized by Fast Company’s prestigious Most Innovative Companies list, named a Gartner Cool Vendor, and as one of the Top Places to Work by the OC Register and Built in LA. She hosts “Beyond the Shelf: the Product and Packaging Podcast,” where she interviews the industry leaders behind the products we love and use everyday. Prior to Specright, she led advertising and analytics at GE Digital, GE’s Industrial Internet software business. Before that, she was a consultant at Deloitte Digital working in enterprise digital transformation. Laura was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for marketing and advertising and Brand Innovators 40 Under 40 and 100 Women to Watch lists. She graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She resides in Newport Beach, CA.
What year did you win your NYWICI Scholarship?
2012
What did receiving a NYWICI scholarship mean to you?
Receiving a NYWICI scholarship put me into a new league of peers and mentors who showed me what was possible. It was the ultimate “if you can see it, you can be it” moment and had a huge impact on my career advancement.
How do you plan to give back to the NYWICI community or pay it forward?
My goal is to repay my entire scholarship over time so I can pay it forward to the next generation of women leaders.
Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for future scholarship applicants?
You can achieve more than you think and there’s no timeline for success, so go after your dreams! You might get there faster than you think and uncover new goals along the way.
Jen Walsh, Associate Director, Audience Development, Morning Brew
Personal bio:
Jen is a social media strategist who’s worked with brands including Comedy Central, NBCUniversal, Blizzard Entertainment and StarTalk Radio to cultivate strong social followings and create best-in-class digital content. Walsh’s work has won Webby and Shorty Awards, and she was named a Cynopsis Rising Star in 2021. She received a Bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College and a Master’s in Arts Administration from Baruch College.
What year did you win your NYWICI Scholarship?
2017
What did receiving a NYWICI scholarship mean to you?
Receiving a NYWICI scholarship was like receiving a vote of confidence from some of the most successful women in the communications industry. The funding for my degree was certainly useful, but being welcomed the NYWICI community was a truly invaluable experience.
How has receiving the NYWICI scholarship helped with your career?
Participating in NYWICI’s mentoring program and attending early-career events helped me develop my professional network and the skills I needed to succeed in the workplace. NYWICI’s members are smart, generous with their time, and dedicated to helping other women succeed – I’m incredibly grateful for the wisdom I’ve gained from the organization.
How do you plan to give back to the NYWICI community or pay it forward?
I encourage everyone to join me in donating to NYWICI’s scholarship fund to support the next generation of women in communications! It’s an honor to help other young women join NYWICI’s wonderful community as they begin their careers in the field.
Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for future scholarship applicants?
Drafting scholarship essays can be daunting – as you write your scholarship submissions, try to add your unique perspective to your writing, not what you think you “should” write. NYWICI is a community of women who bring incredibly diverse experience to communications, and showcasing the unique point of view you’ll bring to the organization can help you stand out.
