Ally Schachtel’s experiences during her time as a student at West Essex High School gave her the foundation she needed to explore a career in Public Relations after graduating from The Ohio State University in 2019. She uses the skills she learned at West Essex daily in her job at Full Picture, a PR agency located in Los Angeles, Calif. Full Picture helps their high profile clients get exposure in the media and coordinates their interviews and event schedules. Through her job, Schachtel has the opportunity to work on many projects and meet many clients through attending different events and press opportunities.
“It’s a lot of really hard work, but you get many rewards out of it,” Schachtel said.
One project that Schachtel had the opportunity to work on was the “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary episode on Feb. 16. Schachtel, along with her team, decided when the talent should arrive and organized photographers, the red carpet and the press. Coordinating such a large-scale event takes a lot of hard work and planning, and Schachtel credits her experience at West Essex and on The Wessex Wire with giving her the skills necessary to accomplish this feat.
“West Essex really helped me with my career in communications. For example, anyone I meet, I know how to talk to and relate to them,” Schachtel said. “The Wire taught me so much about journalism and working with media, but also how to find some common ground to stand on which allows me to connect with people.”
Schachtel always had an interest in entertainment and news, which grew during her days on The Wessex Wire. As both Art Director and a News Editor, Schachtel learned about the intricacies of interpreting and distributing news. Though The Wire taught her these valuable skills, she was unsure what her exact path was going to be.
“I never knew exactly what I wanted to do, so I applied to a bunch of jobs in the communications industry but focused on entertainment because that was always a passion of mine,” Schachtel said. “I got lucky because I really love what I do now.”
Her experiences at West Essex were not the only thing that drew her to the entertainment world. Schachtel also saw her mom’s success through her company, which works with PR and advertising agencies to get celebrity endorsements for pharmaceutical companies, and she learned many tools to succeed. While Schachtel’s job is not always easy, she constantly has the opportunity to do new things and have new experiences.
“You need to have a certain drive and work ethic because the days are long and the weekends are often like any other work day, but it’s never boring, that’s for sure,” she said.
In just a short time, Schachtel has already made her mark in an industry that is notoriously difficult to find your path in. She is grateful for the path she has ended up on and the experiences her job has given her.
