Alumni

Sandra Perez

Sandra Perez Hawthorne is an Army spouse and an expert in traditional and social media for domestic and international causes and clients. Sandra’s years of experience with digital, print, and video campaigns include projects as diverse as developing a communications plan for an Afghan social enterprise, producing a public television series, and executing crisis communications for Fortune 100 companies. She works at Aptive Resources, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business specializing in strategic communications whose clients include the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Agency for International Development.

Sandra earned a bachelor’s degree in political communication at The George Washington University, and served as a presidential fellow for her graduate studies in global communication in international affairs, a program for which she continues to be an advisory board member. While earning her master’s degree, she managed projects and media productions for three offices at the university: the Division of External Relations, the Institute for Corporate Responsibility, and the Global Media Institute.

Sandra also volunteers as a mentor and tutor for children’s literacy organizations; contributes to blogs on sustainable development, immigration, and issues affecting veterans, service members, and military families; and is a member of several media and foreign policy organizations. Sandra is fluent in Spanish and French and makes presentations on public relations and social media before community organizations.