The School of Communication Studies prepared Katie Pfrogner to take advantage of the many priceless opportunities and valuable experiences she’s had since graduating from Kent State in 2003. Pfrogner, who now lives in Queens, N.Y., is trying to break into the entertainment business in New York City. Pfrogner had always been a fan of the arts; she began singing at age three and participating in theatrical productions by age four. Her passion for singing eventually rewarded her with a music scholarship to the University of South Carolina, which she attended before transferring to Kent State. When Pfrogner was 21, her communication skills netted her a job at Cedar Point. While working there, she met someone in the entertainment industry — someone who had worked on a cruise ship. So Pfrogner got the information she needed about cruise line entertainment, hired a private voice teacher and took dance lessons at the Student Wellness and Recreation Center at the Kent Campus. She videotaped a cut of herself singing and sent the tapes out to seven cruise lines. “I still wasn’t sure if I definitely wanted to work on a cruise ship, and I didn’t know what to expect in response to my tapes,” Pfrogner said, “but I knew I didn’t want to go into a business or corporate environment yet, so I figured I’d give it a try.” In April of 2003, Pfrogner got a call back from one of the cruise lines. They wanted additional material from her in the form of an audio recording. She promptly went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and sat in the karaoke machine for hours. She sang many songs she was familiar with, recorded them and sent the tape out. The week before Pfrogner’s spring graduation, the cruise line’s entertainment directors asked her to come to their headquarters. She graduated on a Saturday that May, and left the next day. Pfrogner’s cruise experience lasted eight months. She traveled to Cyprus, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Spain and Malta. “I got to see the world for free,” she said. “I never thought I’d get to travel so much for such a low price.” Pfrogner said working on the cruise ship was a wise decision for her financially. “The only expenses I had on the ship were souvenir money and going-out money.” Pfrogner was able to save a lot while working for the cruise line. And, as she would soon find out, moving to New York City is easier with a little bit of money in the bank. Outside of the financial and traveling advantages to working on the cruise ship, Pfrogner got to do what she loves — perform. “I never imagined that I’d get to travel, perform and get paid so well right out of college,” she said. Pfrogner credits her training at Kent State University with helping her adjust to life on the cruise ship. At times, she and her 14 co-workers were the only persons aboard the ship who spoke English. Pfrogner said that they stuck together and formed close bonds, which helped them fix problems quickly. Being an expert in communication, Pfrogner was able to put her training to good use in these situations. She also uses these skills on a day-to-day basis in New York. “During auditions,” Pfrogner said, “I have incredibly brief periods of time in which to make a lasting impression. Since I know how to work with different types of communicators, I’m able to fit in numerous auditions in a very short time frame.” Overall, Pfrogner said the communication skills she learned at Kent State have helped her in all aspects of her work; they helped her on the cruise and they are helping her in New York. “These are skills that make every situation easier,” she said. -- by Bryan Connell, Comm Studies ‘04 with Renee Freismuth, Public Relations.
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