Next step: senior marketing analyst at Cardinal Health
In a college career jam-packed with amazing opportunities, one stood out for public relations, communications and marketing triple major Alyson Hoffman. “Being invited to interview the first female President in Ohio Northern’s history will always be one of my favorite moments during my time at ONU,” she says.
Dr. Melissa Baumann took the helm as ONU’s 12th president on July 1, 2022. Hoffman was selected to interview Dr. Baumann on camera for a video to introduce her to the campus community.
Being the interviewer instead of the interviewee was a welcome change for Hoffman, who had years of experience on the other side. Hoffman and her twin sister, Andrea, also an ONU graduate, have cystic fibrosis (CF). As an outspoken advocate at the local, state and federal level for children and adults with medical handicaps, Hoffman has engaged in many interviews with media outlets regarding her experiences with CF.
In a Lima News op-ed, the “Hoffman twins,” as they were known across campus, wrote: “... on the inside and behind the scenes, a daily battle is being waged against this life-limiting disease, from which we both suffer, primarily affecting the lungs, the digestive system and other major organs in our bodies.”
Hoffman doesn’t let her disease define her. She is upbeat, energetic and people-focused, in spite of her having to live the realities of CF which requires constant vigilance and daily treatments and medications.
At Northern, she served as a resident assistant and the social media coordinator for the Good News Bears. She participated in the President’s Club and the student-run PR firm True North. Active in PRSSA, she served as the vice president of members services on the PRSSA National Committee, working with committee members across the U.S. to lead the society and creative initiatives to grow membership. She also engaged in two summer internships, working at both Fahlgren Mortine and Cardinal Health. Hoffman was also elected as president and chosen to lead the National PRSSA during the 2022-23 school year.
“ONU accelerated all my passions to the next level,” she says. “I had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people, learned so much inside and outside the classroom, and set myself up for success after college. I truly valued every moment of my ONU experience.”
