​Kent State Public Relations Student Group Wins Two National Awards and Two National Student Scholarships

Chloe Wilson-Henline
Kent State Public Relations major 
PRSSA Kent VP of Communications
[email protected]  

​Michele Ewing, APR, Fellow PRSA
Professor/Public Relations Sequence Coordinator
PRSSA Kent Faculty Adviser
330-672-4288 / [email protected]
​
For immediate release
Kent State Public Relations Student Group Wins Two National Awards and Two National Student Scholarships
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Kent, OH (Oct. 21, 2023) – Kent State’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA Kent) won two national awards during the school year as well as two scholarships awarded to an executive board member. These national awards were announced during the Awards Ceremony Brunch at the International Public Relations Student Society Conference in Nashville Oct 14.

"Working with PRSSA Kent students is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my role as a professor,” Faculty Adviser and Professor Michele Ewing said. “I witnessed the practical application of classroom knowledge and the transformation of these students into thoughtful leaders.”

The PRSSA leaders dedicate extensive hours in planning professional development programs to offer their peers invaluable opportunities to learn from public relations professionals nationwide. These initiatives breathe life into the diverse career paths in public relations and give students a glimpse into the exciting trajectories their studies can pave. 

PRSSA Kent was recognized as a Star Chapter in Nashville, recognizing the Chapter for outstanding leadership and programming. Current PRSSA Kent President, Madison Goerl, emphasized how rewarding it was to receive the award in person.

“We are so elated to receive this year’s Star Chapter Award from the 2022 ICON PRSSA Conference,” she said. “This award shows the hard work and dedication of our previous members who continue to inspire our current students to constantly strive for better.”

Alongside the Chapter winning a National Award, former 2022-2023 PRSSA President and 2023 Kent State graduate, Kayla Polansky from Olmsted Falls, Ohio, won the National Gold Key Award, PRSSA’s highest individual honor. The National Gold Key Award recognizes students with outstanding leadership qualities and academic excellence in public relations within their PRSSA chapter. 
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“I was so honored to receive the Gold Key Award,” Polanksy said. “Being part of the PRSSA Kent Chapter and jumping into leadership roles throughout my Kent State career truly shaped who I am as a young professional freshly entering the PR industry. Every faculty member, fellow student, and fellow chapter member is a piece of this award, and without them, I would not be where I am today.” 

Current Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Co-Chair of the PRSSA Kent Chapter, junior public relations major Chania Crawford from Madison, Ohio, was awarded two scholarships at the conference, the Gary Yoshimura Scholarship and the PRSA Foundation Travel Grant. These scholarships help fund an individual's educational pursuits and travel expenses to conferences helping to further skills and leadership in PRSSA. 

“I feel so honored to receive these scholarships,” Crawford said. “They allow me to come to these conferences and develop my public relations skills and relationships with my network.”

About PRSSA Kent
The Kent State Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA Kent) was established in 1968 as one of the 14 original Alpha Chapters of PRSSA. The student-run organization collaborates with its parent chapter, the PRSA Akron Area Chapter/PRSA Greater Cleveland Chapter, to coordinate meetings and events that offer professional development and networking opportunities to Kent State students interested in the public relations and communications industry. The PRSSA Kent Chapter and the students who participate consistently win national awards, placing the Chapter in the top tier nationwide. For more information about PRSSA Kent, visit www.prssakent.com.

About Kent State University’s Public Relations Sequence
The public relations sequence at Kent State University is part of the School of Media and Journalism, a nationally renowned program that offers degrees in advertising, digital media, journalism and public relations. Kent State boasts the only public relations program in Ohio that is both certified by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and accredited by the
Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC). For more information about Kent State’s School of Media and Journalism and its public relations sequence, visit www.kent.edu/mdj. 
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 About the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)
The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is the foremost organization for students interested in public relations and communications. Founded in 1967 by its parent organization, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), PRSSA includes nearly 7,000 student members and advisers and is active on nearly 375 colleges and university campuses across the U.S. and in Argentina, Columbia, Peru and Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.prssa.org.