PRSSA-LB Bateman’s Head Writer & Content Creator is a Force to be Reckoned With

Transforming thoughts into a creative reality

Hetty La, Head Writer and Content Creator for PRSSA-LB 2018 Bateman team.

by Maianh Luong


Imagine sitting at a window with a morning cup of coffee, and gazing at the world outside. Your eyes may see colors, lines or objects in motion, in the hustle and bustle of daily life. For Hetty La, she experiences much more than what meets the naked eye. She has a talent — a gift — for putting into words what most people can  not.

La is a 23-year-old bright mind, finally having the opportunity and courage, to shine her brightest during her last semester at Long Beach State University. She is majoring in journalism with an emphasis in public relations. La, along with four others, are announced as part of the 2018 PRSSA-LB Bateman Team. She will be the team’s Head Writer and Content Creator.

Before knowing any major details, La thought Bateman was a super elite team of the best public relations students from the university, chosen to represent LBSU’s Department of Journalism and Public Relations. She came to learn that her assumptions were not too far off.

So what was La’s biggest inspiration for joining Bateman? This year’s client — With Purpose – a national, youth-lead charity that centers on advancing treatment and conquering childhood cancer.

“My childhood friend passed away from cancer before we graduated high school,” La explains, “So this is a cause close to my heart.”

La also saw Bateman as an opportunity to challenge herself as an aspiring public relations professional and to put the PRSSA-LB chapter back on the map!

Coming from a journalism background, La believes her the biggest asset she will bring to the team is her writing ability. It is the one skill set that she is not afraid to flaunt.

“Writing is a huge component of public relations, but quality writing is what will distinguish great, memorable content from just “good” content,” La said.

La was a staff writer for Fullerton College’s The Hornet student media, where she contributed as the opinion editor and online editor. She currently writes for the online publication P.S. I Love You and is a short story contributor for a startup called LongShorts. She also currently work as a server and Marketing/Public Relations Intern for Kettlebar in Tustin, CA.

La has a flair for descriptive storytelling and evoking people’s emotion, explaining,. “I have blueprints for tactics that will make a lasting impression on our audience, because of its emotional impact.”

Commuting to school, with a job far from campus, La never had many opportunities to really get to know her classmates, or to be an active participant in university or department functions. In her final semester at LBSU, La’s biggest goal is to make and maintain more connections with her fellow peers. This will help her put her best foot forward, as well as, jumpstart her professional network.

La looks forward to growing with her teammates and helping everyone reach their full potential, both as individuals and as a team. It might sound crazy, but La is actually looking forward to the craziness that comes with this competition — including all the inevitable sleepless nights that will lead to successful events and outcomes.

One of the biggest challenges La feels she will face this spring is balancing the competition with her regular semester coursework. This will be La’s final semester at LBSU, so she must stay on top, and ahead of her classes, while staying on her A-game for her team.

Aside from getting her degree, La’s biggest personal goal for 2018 is to finish a book she has been working on. On her days off, she enjoys reading — Jack Kerouac being her favorite author. She also loves writing (obviously), running on the beach, and going on Yelp adventures to try new foods. She just wrapped up watching Mindhunter on Netflix, and is now in search of her next show to binge!


If La could have dinner with anyone from the past, it would be Ernest Hemingway. She would love to pick his brain. She also says that the biggest person she looks up to is her mom. She is the strongest person she knows and raised La all on her own. She manages to always remain caring, kind and selfless. She is the ultimate role model.

What some people may not know about La, is that she is a wildly competitive person. Though her nature is generally calm and mellow, throw a competitive aspect into anything and she will dive- in headfirst to take home the win.

Hetty La is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to transferring an emotion onto a page. She is beyond excited for the 2018 Bateman Competition and will be bringing her A-game — not only for her team, but for Long Beach State University.