Kid Talk Tuesday: Get to know Christy Stroud

This week’s post is a Q&A with publicist Christy Stroud.

Where are you from originally and what brought you to Tyndale?

I was born and raised in the Chicago area. Most of my life was spent in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. I can say with certainty that God brought me to Tyndale. After college I wanted to go to California to work for the U.S. Center for World Missions, but my parents didn’t think that was the best idea for me. So I ended up coming back home after graduation with a degree in English and no job prospects. Near the end of the summer, I got a call from the communications manager at the Chicago Tribune asking if I wanted to do some freelance communications work for him. I interviewed and got the job. It was only supposed to be for three months, but my boss kept extending my time there, eventually saying I could work there until I found a full-time job. This is what got me into public relations (I’d only taken one intro to PR class in college). Soon after he told me that, I saw a job posting at Tyndale for a publicity assistant. I applied and eventually was hired. I found out later my Tribune experience helped my resume stand out against the other candidates and all this is something that would not have happened if I’d gone to California after graduation. It’s definitely a God-thing.

When you were a young child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a teacher. I would always play school with my siblings and cousins (I was the oldest) and I liked kids so I thought it would be a good fit. Now I don’t think that would be the best job for me (but I married a teacher). As I got into high school and college, I wanted to write for a magazine.

What was your first paid job?

I worked part-time as a teacher’s assistant for a summer school program through North Suburban Special Recreation Association. I worked one-on-one with a student with special needs. At the same time, I worked part-time for Panera.

What do you like most about your job at Tyndale?

I love being able to help our authors get the word out about their books by getting reviews and interviews in online, print, and broadcast media. I enjoy getting to read some of our great books before they release and sharing my excitement for these books with the world. Now if the media would get as excited as we do about these stories, my job as a publicist would be so much easier! I also work with a great team of people at Tyndale. They make coming to work so much more enjoyable.

What is your favorite Tyndale Kids product and why?

I really enjoyed the London Confidential series by Sandra Byrd. It’s a series for tween girls, but I was drawn into the stories and, having worked with youth at my church, feel that the messages in the books are important and relevant to teen girls. I also love So Long, Insecurity Teen Edition . The format is so unique and visually appealing. I think it’s another great product that will benefit teen girls.