Two Kent State Alumnae win 2025 PRSSA National Gold Key Award

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

• Participation is extremely beneficial when you truly commit and take advantage of opportunities
• Introduce yourself to the professionals at meetings and events
• Stay involved beyond attending meetings to maximize your benefits
• Networking and relationship building lead to awards, internships and career advancement

Executive Board Members aiming to win the Gold Key Award should: 

• Stay actively involved and collaborate with professors
• Build close relationships with program participants and peers
• Participate in the “extra” programs like Bateman 
• Visibly contribute to enhance your chance of recognition

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