Kent State PRSSA Receives Cleveland Rocks Award for the 2025 Bateman Case Study Competition

By Jess Edmisten

What is Bateman?
Bateman Case Study Competition is an annual national competition from the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). The opportunity offers undergraduates real-world public relations experience with hands-on research, planning, implementation and evaluation of a campaign for a real-world client. 

This year, the Kent State University team was honored to represent the chapter among dozens of schools nationwide. The team’s casebook traveled to New York for national judging, where it earned an impressive score of 89. 


Award-Winning Campaign 
PRSSA Kent made history at the 2025 PRSA Rock Awards when the 2025 Bateman team received gold. This is the first time this category was featured in the event and the first time students have been nominated and won. Judged by the chapter’s sister organization in Chicago, the award recognized the team’s dedication, creativity and strategic work throughout the campaign. 

Being part of an event with top communications professionals from across the Greater Cleveland area was an honor and an inspiring experience for the Bateman team. The gold award represents the highest level of recognition for their outstanding work.


Strategic work for EveryLibrary 
Kent State PRSSA partnered with EveryLibrary, the client for the 2025 Bateman Case Study Competition, to develop a strategic campaign that positioned the organization as a national leader in library advocacy, donor engagement and community outreach. 

Kent State’s team was composed of six talented PRSSA students: Jeremy Deloof, Maya Lee, Caitlyn Soya, Ana Julia Cechin Facco, Paige Johnson and Jess Edmisten. These students developed and executed a strategic campaign, including content creation, audience-driven social media strategy and event planning.  

The team exceeded all four of their stated campaign objectives. Refer to the 2025 Bateman Casebook for a detailed report that outlines research findings, strategies, tactics and evaluation.  
 

Key Takeaways from the Team
The Bateman participants shared its lasting benefits: 
“Bateman gave me the utmost confidence to tackle any project that came afterward. Bateman is extremely comprehensive; it just gives you a skillset for a bunch of relevant things afterwards.” – Paige Johnson, senior 
 
“It gave me a lot of real-world PR skills that I can take with me post-graduate… I have been able to talk about it during internship interviews so it’s a great portfolio piece.” – Caitlyn Soya, junior

“I got experience in social media, which is something that I wanted to do… pitching skills are out of the roof now.” – Ana Julia, senior

“The Bateman Competition allowed myself and my team to prove that we don’t just study public relations, we live it. It’s one thing to learn the strategies, but another to bring them to life through real-world application.”- Jess Edmisten, senior   
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Why Join Bateman?
Participation in Bateman aligns firmly with the PRSSA’s mission. Students develop professional readiness, engage in ethical work, and showcase leadership in public relations. For PRSSA members, participating in Bateman is an academic milestone, a prestigious résumé builder, a powerful portfolio piece and a testament to one’s commitment to excellence in strategic communication.  

This experience elevates the visibility of our students, enhances our reputation and lays the groundwork for future success. The 2025 Bateman team extends its best wishes for success to the 2026 Bateman teams.