Back in the ‘90s, Elizabeth Choi woke up every morning to the sound of FOX59 news as her “alarm clock.” Segments such as ‘Shireen on the Scene’ greeted her each day with unique stories, leaving Choi inspired to pursue a job that ensured she would have fun.
Now, in 2024, Choi fills the position of Director of Communications for Perry Township, which gives her the chance to be the person behind the camera. Not only does Choi fill this position, but she has fostered a passion for storytelling that breathes life into the experiences that students have grown from with the help of Perry Township.
“The goal is to show people what Perry Township is all about,” Choi said. “We do really beautiful things here in this school district.”
Choi’s journey begins at Ball State University, the college in which she believed had a “great broadcast journalism program.”
Along with this decision, Choi knit herself into student-based radio and news programs leading her to a job in broadcast journalism for 15 years.
During these 15 years of experience, Choi has faced stumbling blocks that challenged her perseverance. She faced opposition from her father who believed that she was living in a “dreamer’s world” and struggled with her first two TV markets in which she was “earning below the poverty line.”
But despite these challenges, Choi believes that stumbling blocks are opportunities to learn and grow.
Through this, she has managed to overcome these challenges and enjoy her job while also reaching a point of support from her family.
“ … They were all really proud of me for having a dream and the determination to fulfill that dream,” Choi said.
Although Choi enjoyed broadcast journalism, she felt it was very demanding and decided to take a step back from it.
“It was a career that was really satisfying professionally, but not so much personally,” Choi said.
With this withdrawal, Choi brought the knowledge and experience she gained into a new alley: public relations.
Choi started working for Perry Township in late fall 2021 as Director of Communications which has challenged her to keep learning about a district full of nearly 16,000 students.
“There’s just a lot to learn about a school district this size,” Choi said. “We operate like a well-oiled machine.”
Learning different positions and the things that are important to a school district this size has been a learning curve for Choi as she strives to find ways to promote the school district in a positive way.
But, throughout the years, Choi has grown accustomed to this position and has managed to start on projects, such as the Perry Press.
Natalie Newlin, Communications Coordinator of Perry Township, and Choi worked together to create this news segment aimed towards ‘showcasing all of the positive things that happen within the district.’
“The reason why I wanted to do Perry Press is because when I first started working here and interacting with students, I learned there’s so many magnificent things that students have been able to accomplish and we need to let people know,” Choi said.
Since Superintendent Dr. Patrick Spray and Choi started working together, he has noticed her commitment to ensuring that their work is on point.
Spray notices Choi’s devotion and activeness within the community as well, as she attributes positive and transparent messages amongst them.
“She not only helps at the district level and help assist myself and the school board of getting messages, but also is very active in our individual schools,” Spray said.
As Choi continues to grow herself and her passion for telling stories as she dives deeper into this ever-growing community.
“I think I’ve grown tremendously and it’s really on the job experiences that help me in that growth,” Choi said.
