Embrace being in the present – Elena Limonta

Elena Limonta never saw herself as a Gator. After all, she grew up a Florida State University football fan. But that all changed during her senior year of high school.

“When I started researching the College of Journalism and Communications, I knew immediately this was the place I wanted to be,” said Limonta, a senior in Public Relations. “I took a tour in the fall of my senior year, and I felt that ‘you know it’s right’ moment in my heart.”

Limonta began getting more involved on campus during her sophomore year. She joined the local chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), the oldest PR organization at UF. She started off as a social media ambassador and, over the next two years, worked her way up through the ranks to become the VP of Public Relations and, finally, the president of the organization. She considers leading her PRSSA chapter to be one of the biggest highlights of her college career. Under her leadership, the chapter introduced the first-ever nonprofit, agency style account within the chapter, reinstated the chapter’s Mentor x Mentee program and took 20 students to the national ICON conference in D.C.

During the spring semester of her sophomore year, Limonta joined Alpha PR, a student-run PR firm affiliated with UF PRSSA. While learning to work with clients and collaborate with her peers, she realized that working for a public relations firm is her ambition. After she graduates, she wants to work at a large agency in a major city. Someday, she hopes to write and publish a novel.

Limonta embarked on her most difficult journey during her junior year: finding an internship. She spent countless hours scouring LinkedIn for opportunities, putting together cover letters and writing supplemental essays, all just to land an interview. The search was long, but one piece of advice kept her going: embrace being in the present.  

“I kept reminding myself that there was once a previous version of myself who worked so hard for the opportunities I have today, and there is likely a future version of myself who misses the time I’m currently living in,” she explained. “Living every day with this advice in mind allows me to find gratitude in the present moment rather than rushing toward the next milestone.”

Her hard work paid off. She landed an internship at Edelman, one of the world’s largest PR firms, in its Seattle office. “For me, getting the internship was just the first step,” said Limonta. “Learning and growing in a real-world environment is where I truly challenged myself and applied what I’ve learned at UF. More than the title, I’m proud of the resilience and discipline I built through the process and seeing my persistence pay off.”

This profile was featured in the 2026 Dean’s Report.

Category: College News, Profiles, Student Profiles
Tagged: Dean’s Report 2026 Graduation Public Relations student experience
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