**CIT Alumni of the Week**

We are kicking off our Alumni of the Week project with a bang with the Alumni Office's Original Alumni Intern!
Lisa was the very first Alumni Intern in any third level institute in Ireland, while undertaking a Masters she was instrumental in the coordination of the inaugural Grad Fest. She made such an impression during her time at CIT, she left us only for a short whil...e to return to a full time role in student engagement and leads the CIT Good Start Team- We recently caught up with Lisa to see what she's been up to!

Which course did you study?
MA in Public Relations and New Media & BA in Visual Communications. Clearly I couldn’t get enough of the Media Department!

What is your best memory of CIT?
At the end of my undergrad in Visual Communications our whole class held an exhibition where we displayed our final year projects, the preparation in the run up and opening night of that show was fantastic! Everyone in our class really came together to make the show a success. It was such a surreal feeling seeing our work hanging on the walls of a gallery and our family and friends all there to support us. It made all the hard work worth it. I was quite involved in the organisation of the show, on the opening night was when it hit me, like a ton of bricks - event organisation was what I wanted to do. To realise what you want to do, while also having the most amazing time celebrating surviving your undergrad is really something special.

How has CIT helped in getting you to where you are now?
I can absolutely say that CIT has helped me every step on the way! I learned so much more than just hard skills during my undergrad, I learned how to communicate with people effectively, how to make presentations which make an impact, how being purposeful makes whatever I’m doing so much easier, how to be resilient, how to work hard and not crack, how to step outside my comfort zone and like it. My internship in CIT Alumni Office allowed me to really get to grips with the nature of events and practice what I was learning about in class on the job. Coordinating the CIT Good Start programme allowed me to be creative while learning about large scale events and polishing up my skills. Now I’m Communications and Events Officer in the CIT Student Engagement Office where the possibilities are endless and each day brings a new and exciting challenge.

Do you have any advice to current CIT students?
Relax, it’s supposed to be hard. Take advantage of the opportunities and supports that are available to you while you’re here. The more you get involved in, the more you will get out of college. Listen to your lecturers and use the advice they give, they do know what they are talking about.

Did anyone in CIT influence you in a positive way during your time at CIT?
Each one of my lecturers has influenced me in one way or another throughout the years, but there are two in particular who have coached me on a number of occasions, Frank O’Donovan and Emmett Coffey. Those two superstars are filled with great advice, tips and tricks for success and some very interesting stories!

Were you involved in any events, clubs or societies during your time?
Yes, in third and fourth year I was really involved in the Powerlifting Society where I got to know some really great people from all over CIT and also became a little bit fitter. It’s a really great felling being part of something bigger and coming together as a club, something that you can only experience by getting involved.

If you would like to be featured as part of our CIT Alumni of the Week please email alumni@cit.ie