School of Communication
Face to Face with...
Della DiPietro
Director of Public Affairs for the Americas,
Ford Motor Company
M.A., Communications, 1982
I was primarily interested in broadening my experience. It wasn't a turning point; at the time it was just a great experience. And it gave me a solid foundation in communications in general and public relations in particular. Later, when I did leave broadcasting, I made very good use of what I'd learned - and very quickly as I adapted to a totally new environment at Ford. Because I went from a television station - a realm with very clear deadlines every day and a tangible product - to a corporate organization where communication is more strategic and pervasive. It's not just a 'talking at,' one-way kind of communication. Trying to change hearts and minds in the corporate environment requires a much deeper understanding of the process.
The fundamentals of public relations! As I moved into public affairs, it was astonishing to me how much of the theory from that class was applicable in everyday situations. I had many good professors at WMU, but George Robeck was an extraordinarily gifted one. And he connected theory with practice seamlessly. Only when I was teaching myself did I realize how difficult it was. You think you know something; but when you have to stand up and explain it you find the holes in your own understanding.
A lot of job categories fall into communications, when you think about it. All kinds of storytellers - journalists, trainers, educators - are communication-based, and there is great relevance for the folks who pursue those fields. There also is great value in the corporate world where you need to strengthen linkages between departments, divisions, and countries. When you have a sound grounding in communications, you have a better understanding of how to forge those connections. Communications is a profession that's akin to law in that way - it grounds you in a way of thinking, a perspective that becomes how you approach problems.
In my own experience, my education became extremely useful in a totally unexpected way. And I think that's really the value of education: it prepares you for the unexpected!