Meet the 2021-2022 Bateman Team!

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Leticia Solaun

Dr. Leticia Solaun has more than 25 years of experience leading, developing, implementing and providing senior review on communications/public relations projects and programs, social/socio-economic impact assessments, and stakeholder engagement initiatives in more than 40 countries. Her sector experience includes agricultural, transportation (ports, highways, and transit), environmental and natural resource management, traditional extractive and renewable energy, remediation, sustainability, textile, and water/wastewater projects. Dr. Solaun serves as a subject matter expert and advisor to large multi-national corporations and lending and equity financing institutions, public sector organizations, and international development organizations, including the Inter-American Development Bank, United Nations, USAID, and World Bank/International Finance Corporation (IFC). She brings extensive experience conducting sustainable finance assessments for lenders, equity investors, and project sponsors, and implementing communication and engagement programs compliant with international best practices (IFC/World Bank Standards and Equator Principles).

2021- 2022 Team Members

**Blair M. Colson**

Blair Colson is a fourth-year Public Relations student with a minor in Event Management. Her top five talents according to Gallup Strengths Quest are strategic, includer, communication, developer and positivity. To continue succeeding in this field, Blair plans to use these skills to help develop personal relationships with clients, bring a positive reputation to my brand and develop a company's image. During Blair’s academic career, she had the privilege of working with Riddle and Bloom as a Campus Brand Manager for Microsoft Teams and a member of the GenZ Advisory Board. She learned valuable communication skills by working with peers and increasing her brand management knowledge on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Blair also is a Media and Account Supervisor at the Agency at UF. Whether working on academic, extracurricular, or professional projects, Blair hopes to apply these skills to her future career in PR after graduating in April 2022.

**Jessica Martinez**

Jessica Martinez is a fourth-year political science and public relations major. This past summer she was a participant in the UM Summer Legal Academy where she took typical 1L courses over three weeks. Additionally, she has extensive experience in public affairs and lobbying due to spending a semester in Tallahassee as a legislative intern at Ballard Partners, a prestigious lobbying firm with offices across the United States. On campus, Jessica works as a student assistant for the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars program where she handles all their social media communications. Her other involvements include being part of the Leadership Team for the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars mentorship program, a student ambassador for the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, a sister of Gamma Eta Sorority, Inc. and a Peer Leader for First Year Florida. After graduation, Jessica hopes to attend law school and eventually blend her love for politics and public relations by working in nonprofit communications.

Arianna R. Meekins

Arianna Meekins, a senior at the University of Florida, is majoring in Arabic, public relations and international studies focusing on the Middle East. Arianna is excited to serve as the Bateman team captain for the 2021 - 2022 school year.

Outside of Bateman, Arianna is a public relations and events intern for Her Campus UFL and works as an RA for UF Housing. She is passionate about current events, social justice, fashion and inclusivity. In her spare time, Arianna loves reading, writing, traveling and taking pictures of her food.

After graduation in May 2022, she plans to attend law school and work as a human rights lawyer.

Nicholas G. Suriel

Nicholas Suriel is a third-year public relations major seeking his master’s in mass communications focusing on public interest communications. For the past year, he has garnered experience in campaign development, project management and account management with his involvement with The Agency at the University of Florida. He has worked with brands such as Siemens, Smirnoff and UF’s Public Interest Communications Center. Outside of his work with The Agency, he is involved with the Hispanic Student Association as the Vice President of Communications where he oversees the marketing and communication efforts for one of the largest student organizations on campus. After graduating, he is hoping to pursue a career in the research and data side of public relations within the realm of public interest communications or corporate social responsibility.

Alyssa L. Wiles

Alyssa Wiles is a fourth-year public relations major and a minor in Spanish with a 4.0 GPA. Over the summer, she earned an Agency-Ready certificate through the PR Council, in which PR professionals taught her valuable lessons in strategic planning, data analytics, social media strategy, crisis communications, etc. On campus, Alyssa serves as an Account Executive for Alpha PRoductions, Florida’s largest student-run firm. Through this organization, she is currently gaining experience in health communications. Also, Alyssa is heavily involved in her first-generation scholarship organization, Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars (MFOS), in which she is currently an ambassador and leadership team mentor. Her other involvements include being a PRSSA writer and part of the PRSSA social squad. Last year, she served as her service sorority’s vice president of communications. Alyssa will graduate in Summer 2022. That summer, she will be studying abroad in Spain with the CJC.