Photo courtesy of Melissa Vega
To get ahead, Mike Maguire decided he needed a master’s degree in corporate and public communication. But getting the degree wouldn’t be easy.
He knew he’d have to commit to spending one day per week, after an extensive day at work and in a classroom, where he would undoubtedly be the oldest person in the class. He knew that, with such a schedule, it would take him seven years to complete his course work.
But he did it.
Maguire chose to earn his degree at Seton Hall. His advisors told him that, without a doubt, he was among the students who had taken the longest time in the history of the department to complete their degrees. Maguire admitted that he never felt ashamed of his decision to return to school.
“Students and professors were welcoming of me at Seton Hall and I always looked forward to my once a week trip to South Orange,” Maguire said.
Getting his degree jump-started his career. Maguire recently celebrated his 24th year at Business Wire, where he now is the national editorial supervisor. Maguire attributes his success to his experience at Seton Hall. One way Maguire demonstrates his appreciation for the University is by inviting students studying public relations to visit him at Business Wire.
On Oct. 24, Maguire hosted Professor Angela Chitkara and her promotional writing class for a private presentation, tour and interview.
Junior Public Relations major Sophia Joseph said her favorite part was “watching employees perform their daily routine, like creating press releases and digital advertisements.”
She said: “the tour introduced me to the field of public relations first hand. It was exciting and overwhelming.”
Sophomore Brian Bozzo said he appreciated the five pieces of advice that Maguire presented for public relations students.
Maguire’s first piece of advice was to continue writing, “but avoid robust language, and always get to the point.”
Maguire also recommended that students recognize the importance of ethics and morality in the workplace, participate in internships with agencies and perform volunteer work.
“Keep in mind the power of the individual,” he said.
Maguire’s concluding piece of advice was to “seek help if you need it, because things don’t happen overnight.”
That carried extra weight, considering how long it took Maguire to get his master’s degree. That required a lot of Maguire’s time and dedication, which even as an undergraduate student, he was always willing to contribute for the sake of his future.
Initially, Maguire earned his undergraduate degree in communications from St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, N.Y. Motivated by his passion for athletics and interest in public relations, Maguire began his first job as an editor for Sports Ticker in 1989.
One year later, Maguire began working for Business Wire. He maintained both jobs until 1998, precisely three years before his decision to take advantage of Business Wire’s education allotment program and earn an advanced degree from Seton Hall.
As a thank you for Maguire’s time, Professor Chitkara and students presented him with a Seton Hall hoodie. Using the Business Wire Twitter account, he tweeted a photo with students and Professor Chitkara using the “#SHUWired” hashtag that students established to report on the trip.
Melissa Vega can be reached at melissa. vega@student.shu.edu.
