Utah Valley University has over 100 bachelor’s degrees and is well known for its inclusion, diversity, and endless possibilities. However, one of its most broad degrees sets the landscape for many students. Applied Communications and Public Relations & Strategic Communication (PRSC) scope out endless possibilities for a career in the UVU Communications Department (COMM). Whether you want to focus on journalism or news reporting or take to marketing and human resources, UVU COMM has career fields that exceed any student’s expectations.
Hayley Hautau — PRSC major and UVU graduate of 2023 — is one of those students whose expectations were exceeded.
Hautau is the Premium Experience Operations Manager for the Utah Jazz and now Utah Hockey Club. After starting as an intern with the Jazz, Hautau now manages all experience operations for premium members such as season ticket holders in premium spots throughout Delta Center.
“All of our suites, courtside ticket holders, and all the people who pay top dollar for season tickets, that is who I take care of,” Hautau said. “It is quite a bit of everything. I make sure parking is coordinated, support our activations where the public does not have access to, and all of the outreach and booking of vendors.”
Though a loaded schedule, Hautau was also recently informed she would take care of premium operations for not just the Jazz, but the newly relocated Utah Hockey Club which had its inaugural debut on Oct. 8.
“We only found out within the last week specifically what we would be doing. It has been kind of a whirlwind because now it is all hands on deck and falling into our roles,” Hautau stated.
But this position almost did not happen for Hautau. In fact, it took her until the end of her junior year to change into a PRSC major.
“I was actually a biochemistry major and was planning on going to pharmacy school. That was my whole plan at UVU. At the end of my junior year, I thought ‘I do not want to do this anymore.’ I switched my major to PR, and I crossed paths with Juliann Fritz (a professor in the department) and I took some classes for her, and she had a sports background working for the USA Snowboarding team for a long time.”
“A degree in PR and Strategic Communication or Applied COMM gives you lifelong power skills. It prepares students for the jobs of today, but also those of the future as what students learn is transferable to so many different fields and industries,” Fritz said. “Employers can teach you their business, but they need people who can communicate, understand and build connections with others, creatively problem-solve, and present information and ideas clearly as well as impactfully.”
Once she was in the major, she was hooked.
“Juliann was a huge part of me pursuing sports. She explained how she got her foot in the door and the connections she has and understanding what working in sports really had prepared me and catapulted me to apply,” Hautau stated. “I had a lot of great professors like Jordan Allen and Farah Sanders as well. Even though I took classes that were opposite of what I am in, it really helps you understand how you want to portray your writing.”
And while many incoming freshmen or students trying to figure out what they want to do weigh all the options, Hautau offers easy advice.
“Just go for it. Make the connections. The professors at UVU are so awesome and so willing to help people find what they want to do in life and are so supportive. They build your skills and use their resources to help you. I utilized our comm professors, counselors, advisors, and office hours more than ever before.”
Hautau mentioned her most impactful classes were COMM Research Methods, Campaigns which has a service-learning component, and PR Writing.
While Hautau has had success, current students and faculty are noticing similar patterns of UVU COMM’s impact and potential.
“Learning how to plan campaigns for my PRSC degree taught me how to identify each step toward a goal, budget, and calendar,” UVU senior Lexi Vassilaros stated. “As my own biggest client, I apply these methods (along with the fundamental skills, theories, and strategies I have learned) to my own personal goals and have found greater success than ever before.”
You can contact the department by going to their website here and following them on Instagram @uvucomm.
