Culture meets communication
by Jennifer R. Lloyd (M.B.A. ’16)
Public relations strategist and author Melissa Vela-Williamson (B.A. ’02) isn’t afraid of the curve balls a career in PR can throw at professionals — either those new to the game or seasoned veterans.
In her latest book, Latinas in Public Relations: Shaping Communications, Communities, and Culture, the St. Mary’s University alumna and founder of MVW Communications draws together 15 perspectives to share insights into success in a challenging industry. Fig Factor Media Publishing published the book in February and it’s available on Amazon.
Vela-Williamson recently joined Gold & Blue magazine for a Q&A, which has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: You’ve said you were the first in your family to pursue a bachelor’s degree and attended St. Mary’s because of the smaller, more intimate campus experience. Tell us how that journey gave you inspiration for your new book.
A: I struggled with the understanding of identity throughout my academic career and then my professional career of trying to figure out where do I fit, and what are my assets. So, when I was a creative writer and taking the English Communication Arts curriculum at St. Mary’s, I was visiting Career Services often trying to figure out, what do I do with all of this? I didn’t know a sustainable career path. That led me to be very passionate about explaining what public relations is to students and aspiring pros, and trying to advance the careers of those in the work, particularly in the Latino and Latinx area. The inspiration has been because the discovery for me was so curvy and winding and self-made.
Q: This new book brings together in an anthology 15 Latina professionals, including yourself, who have influenced public relations. What made you want to share this book with your fellow PR professionals?
A: When I learned about the anthology model, I thought this is a natural way for me to express something that had been in my heart for many years. I could bring in people who I really thought were incredible and help lead them through the author journey, which is an entirely new experience for most of them. It is very brave, and it is very vulnerable. PR people usually elevate others. So, to find PR people to join me in elevating themselves, for once, was a feat of its own. It’s been a growth opportunity for all of us.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from your book?
A: We want to share some how-tos and encouragement when it gets hard, because public relations is so important to our society. It can be very satisfying to pros. The best of us are truth tellers and ethical advisers, but it can be very exhausting work, particularly in this day and age. So, we need to come together to support each other and show how to persevere in a career like this, because it does matter so much.
More from St. Mary’s authors
Tyler Davis, Ph.D., editor
Baylor University Press, 2025
Davis, a Research Administrator at St. Mary’s, edited this collection of oral history interviews from members of Waco’s Black community.
Claudia Donoso, Ph.D., contributor
Athabasca University Press, 2025
Donoso, Associate Professor of Graduate International Relations, contributed a chapter titled, Keeping Them Vulnerable: Female Applicants and the Biopolitics of Asylum in Texas.
