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By Ana Julia Facco From Brazil to the U.S. When I was 20, I moved from Brazil to the United States to finish my college degree. Moving to an entirely new place with a different language and culture is one of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced. In the beginning, I would get frustrated when people noticed my accent because I felt like I would never find my own community. Now, it’s one of my favorite topics because it helps me connect with others while easing my homesickness. Brazil’s Beauty It’s hard not to miss Brazil because of everything it has to offer. I often think about the delicious food and drinks, the beautiful landscapes, the bright smiles, the kind interactions and the appreciation for life. I’ve experienced the different cultures and backgrounds within my home country and explored the various traditions and cultures in a broader context. I am very lucky to have Brazilian friends here in Kent who are experiencing the same mixed emotions of moving to the Northern Hemisphere. We stay connected to our culture by speaking Portuguese and cooking our favorite meals. When the longing for home becomes overwhelming, speaking the complex beauty of the Portuguese language soothes me, word for word. My favorite characteristic of my culture is our compassion for others. At home, everyone wants to help their peers succeed. There’s always time to stop and lend a helping hand to someone in need. My culture’s emphasis on compassion has positively impacted my moral values and mindset, even when I am overseas. Listening to Brazilian music always brings a smile to my face. Having a positive mindset is one lesson from home that I carry wholeheartedly. Staying positive has helped me navigate life independently, teaching me to celebrate every achievement and enjoy each moment. Studying abroad has strengthened my connection to my Brazilian heritage, which I consider the most beautiful part of myself. Being away from home made me realize just how much pride I take in carrying Brazil within me. 
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 By Paige Johnson
PRSSA Kent students learn campaign strategy at first guest speaker meeting ‘Cooking Up a Campaign: The Swensons Strategy’ Students came hungry for campaign wisdom at PRSSA Kent’s first guest speaker event of the semester, ‘Cooking Up a Campaign: The Swensons Strategy.’ The meeting featured a panel discussion followed by a Q&A, giving students a chance to learn directly from the pros and dig into best practices for building standout campaigns. PRSSA Kent welcomed Chanté Jones, vice president of communications, and Lane Strauss, senior vice president and creative director, at Falls & Co., a Cleveland-based marketing agency known for its award-winning work. With multiple PRSA Cleveland Rocks Awards to its name, Falls & Co. stands out as one of Northeast Ohio’s top firms. In 2024, Swensons Drive-In approached Falls & Co. with the goal of refreshing the brand while still honoring their 90-year legacy. Through integrated marketing and communications tactics, Falls & Co. was able to emphasize the brand's hometown connection. For example, real Swenson's curb servers were featured in billboard ads and social media videos. Jones and Strauss walked students through Falls & Co.’s media relations strategy, breaking down key tactics like embargoed press releases and leveraging popular news segments to maximize coverage. Overall, students could easily see why the campaign won so many Rocks Awards. “This was one of my favorite panels we’ve ever had at PRSSA,” said Caitlyn Soya, vice president of membership at PRSSA Kent. “I would love to hear more about agency work in the future.” Many students shared Soya’s sentiments, with several expressing interest in agency work after the meeting. A special thank you to Jones and Strauss for being such inspiring guests! Their insights sparked curiosity, creativity and a deeper sense of purpose among our students, reminding us all why we fell in love with PR in the first place.  By Amber Trares
Students, faculty and staff of MDJ visited PRSSA Kent’s annual Homecoming Silent Auction to bid on items donated by local organizations on Thursday, Oct. 9. The auction funds will support travel to the 2025 International Public Relations Conference (ICON) in Washington, D.C. The auction was organized by Alanna Dowdy and Amber Trares, the Vice President of Fundraising and Community Outreach Co-Chairs of PRSSA Kent. The Cleveland Guardians tickets scored big. The winner received four 2026 field box tickets to a regular season home game. The tickets were among the most bid-on. The Cleveland Monsters tickets were another hit. Marcus Thomas LLC donated four Cleveland Monsters tickets offering club access, complimentary food and parking for the Nov. 22 game. We appreciate everyone who supported PRSSA Kent by donating and bidding on items. Donors:
 Early Opportunities
During my senior year of high school, I was tasked with finding a short-term internship to prepare me for college. I took a leap, reaching out directly to the CEO of Cunningham Baron, a small but mighty marketing communications agency in the heart of downtown Cleveland asking if I could shadow someone there for the next three weeks. To my surprise and immense gratitude, she said yes. During those three weeks, I created graphics, wrote social media posts and engaged with clients’ audiences. I found myself romanticizing the rhythm of professional life and feeling “grown up” in a way high school could not provide. When the internship ended, one thing was clear: I had discovered the kind of work I wanted to pursue. College Internship Pathway Fast forward to my freshman year at Kent State. I could not shake that experience, so I searched high and low for opportunities that mirrored my time at Cunningham Baron. During the spring semester, I received an email from the CEO inviting me back for a summer internship, this time with real responsibility. I did not hesitate for a moment. I said yes. Now I am a junior in college and I’m still working at Cunningham Baron. My role has expanded far beyond those first tasks. I manage content calendars through tools like Hootsuite, plan campaigns, measure analytics, assist with media buying and draft press releases. More importantly, I have built relationships with a team whose dedication and passion are contagious. It is no surprise that so many of them have stayed for years. The community they have fostered is something rare and invaluable. I enjoy writing social posts for our clients because it allows me to wear many different hats, infuse my own creativity and make each post unique. I especially loved interacting with the Little Caesars corporate Instagram account. In one of their posts, I replied, “Okay, but will you be hot and ready?” They replied, “That’s kind of our whole thing.” It is incredibly rewarding to see my work live on their pages. Key Takeaways I have learned more than just the mechanics of marketing. I now understand the resilience and creativity it takes to grow a business fueled by strategy, storytelling and social media. Perhaps the greatest lesson, though, is something deeper: the importance of loving what you do. Passion in hobbies, such as my love for music, feels different from passion in a career. Hobbies provide joy and expression, while a career provides purpose and direction. Looking back, I realize how powerful it was to take a chance and send that first email. I could have let fear hold me back, but I instead gained an experience that shaped the course of my college years and likely my future career. That is advice I would give to anyone stepping into an unfamiliar stage of life: do not be afraid to reach out, ask questions and put yourself in spaces where you might not feel ready. Sometimes the smallest risks open the biggest doors.  By Jewels Cydrus and Gavin Zivoder
About the Award Kent State 2025 graduates Chania Crawford and Tanner Poe received PRSSA’s National Gold Key Award. Both served on PRSSA Kent’s executive board during their senior year, Crawford as president and Poe as vice president of professional relations. The award recognizes academic excellence in public relations and leadership in PRSSA. “It’s nice to be recognized for the hard work I put into the programming that I coordinated last year,” Poe said. Crawford feels validated to be seen as a model leader at such a young age. The award stands for more than the hours put into PRSSA. It symbolizes the years both women spent working hard in and out of the classroom, making every hour worth it. Career and Experiences Crawford joined PRSSA Kent after taking the Principles of PR course. She felt welcomed and supported by her peers to attend meetings and collaborate on projects. “Having mentors who included me, invited me to meetings and pushed me forward really shaped the way I approached my career,” she said. Now, she is an account coordinator at Caliber Corporate Advisers, specialising in PR support. She applies PR and communication skills to her media relations and social media tasks. Poe, originally a fashion merchandising major, became a PR major her sophomore year after discussing the profession with Professor Ewing. She was the assistant coordinator at Flash Communications, a student-governed PR agency and a student leader for H2O Church, a Christian student organization. She praised the PR program for shaping her into the woman she is today. “The PR professors do such a tremendous job of supporting each and every student and there are quite a lot of us,” she said. “I think our professors are truly gems of the university with their desire to make us the best versions of ourselves.” Advice for Current & Potential PRSSA Members
Executive Board Members aiming to win the Gold Key Award should:
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