Diana Dalton – M.A. 1999

Diana Dalton – M.A. 1999

I took my degrees in Speech Communication and turned them into an exciting and successful professional ride. Working towards my Master’s degree while teaching really helped me develop my professional strengths: writing and teaching others. After graduating from UNCG I went to work for VF Corporation on the Change Leadership Team. Our main objective was to prepare the organization for change, so I had the opportunity to deliver communication training, facilitate meetings, conduct interviews, research and write. At the same time I had the honor of working with Dr. Peter Kellett on his first book, Managing Conflict in a Negotiated World (Sage 2000). After three years I left to work in Public Relations in New York City. Working at a top travel PR firm I gained experience in media relations, account supervision, writing and communication planning. I also wrote my first cookbook. Today, I have two ideal jobs. I am a freelance writer and a yoga teacher. I write everything from press kits and bios to food, health and travel articles for print and online publications. I also recently completed a yoga guide for Miami. My Master’s degree has been a huge part of my success. Beyond the perks of negotiating higher starting salaries and increasing my credibility, working on my Master’s developed my communication and writing skills to a level that gave me the confidence and expertise to really help people and to truly add value, which is all I ever wanted to do in the first place!