Belmont University’s Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and two of its student members received national honors at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) International Conference held October 13-17. PRSSA is the foremost organization for students interested in public relations and communications.
For the 14th consecutive year, Belmont PRSSA received a Star Chapter Award, an honor presented by the national organization to chapters that meet the 11 standards of excellence including ethics advocacy, community service and professional development. Of more than 300 chapters nationwide, only two – including Belmont – have received the award each year since its establishment in 2009.
May 2023 graduates Kaitlyn Mashburn and Amelia Muly, officers in Belmont PRSSA in 2022-23, each received a PRSSA National Gold Key Award. The Gold Key Award recognizes academic excellence, chapter leadership, internship performance and professional promise.
Muly is an internal communications specialist at Clayton Real Estate. Mashburn is executive coordinator at Nashville Capital Network and is earning her master’s degree in Belmont’s strategic communication and leadership graduate program.
“I am so honored to have received the PRSSA National Gold Key Award,” Mashburn said. “Receiving this award was the capstone of my undergrad time. Every time I see this award, I am reminded of my PRSSA chapter, the amazing faculty I worked with and the amazing PR department at Belmont.”
“Having PRSSA on my resume was a great talking point during my interview for [my current] position and definitely helped me get the job. Many of the skills I got to practice in PRSSA, like networking and coordinating, are skills I use on a daily basis at my current job,” she added.
Junior Creative & Entertainment Industries major and public relations minor Jamison Costolnick was one of four students who attended the conference. Costolnick says that adding a public relations minor, and becoming a member of both PRSSA and the 2023-2024 Belmont Bateman PR Team “has added more to my academic path than I ever expected.”
“This department was extremely motivating and uplifting in terms of learning more and getting further involved,” she said. “It didn't matter where you were coming from. If you were dedicated to getting better, a community quickly formed to help you get there.”
Keynote speakers at the conference included science writer David Epstein and journalist Monica Norris, author of “The Race Card Project.” Conference sessions focused on storytelling, branding, diversity/inclusion, social media and artificial intelligence.
The PRSA/PRSSA conference was attended by nearly 2,000 people, including professionals and 500 students, and hosted at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Conference Center in Nashville. Public relations faculty member Bonnie Riechert attended the conference and served on the PRSA Nashville Chapter host committee.
“One of the highlights from the conference was the range of careers present, and hearing the paths they took in order to get there,” Costolnick said. “None of the paths taken were linear, and it re-emphasized just how much space there is in the PR industry for those from every professional background.”
Belmont PRSSA co-president and junior public relations and German major Ryleigh Green, sophomore public relations major Eliza Daugherty and senior publishing major Jessie Lang also attended.
Students who join PRSSA experience the benefits of membership to an organization that aims to “enhance your education, broaden your network and launch your career.” Belmont PRSSA was chartered in 2005 and is one of more than 300 chapters nationwide.
