PRSA Tampa Bay recognizes outstanding PR students
Posted on May. 17, 2019 / Subscribe 0
The end of the academic semester was a busy and professionally rewarding period for PRSA Tampa Bay as we awarded scholarships to four amazing PR students -- three at the University of South Florida and one at The University of Tampa -- and had the pleasure of congratulating the founding president of the UT PRSSA Chapter for her recognition as Outstanding Public Relations Student.
Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, represented PRSA Tampa Bay on April 18 at the USF 2019 Honors and Awards Banquet and had the opportunity to congratulate Kayley Alsina and Jessica Schmidtetter for having been awarded the John Cassato Scholarship as well as Jaiya Williams, recipient of the Walter E. Griscti Scholarship.
The John Cassato Scholarship “is designated for an undergraduate public relations student and is awarded each fall semester…in memory of John Cassato, a former public relations officer of the Jim Walter Corporation. This scholarship requires residency in the 15-county area served by the Tampa Bay PRSA chapter, an overall GPA of 3.0, enrollment in 12 or more hours at USF, and enrollment in or completion of at least one PR course.”
The Walter E. Griscti Scholarship “is designated for undergraduate public relations students. The scholarship is awarded each spring semester…in memory of USF professor emeritus Walter E. Griscti, AAPR. The scholarship requires residency in the 15-county area served by the Tampa Bay PRSA chapter, a 3.0 overall GPA, enrollment in 12 or more hours at USF, and enrollment in or completion of at least one PR course.”
On April 29, Kirk and PRSA Tampa Bay President Jenna Stock attended UT’s College of Arts and Letters’ Awards Ceremony, with Jenna presenting the first-ever “Emerging Professional” scholarship to sophomore/budding PR star Olivia Cowden. Although Olivia was unable to attend the ceremony as she is studying abroad in Florence, Italy, Jenna’s remarks underscored the importance of this recognition by the leading public relations organization in the Tampa Bay area. And when Olivia is back on campus in the fall, a formal in-person presentation of the scholarship will take place.
The “PRSA Tampa Bay Emerging Professional” scholarship is awarded to a UT student who has demonstrated an active interest in public relations as his or her career path. He or she also will have declared public relations as his or her specific area of study (minor or concentration) and will have an exemplary grade point average. Additional qualifying distinctions will include active involvement, preferably with a public relations focus, in on-campus organizations and activities and, ideally, completion of one or more public relations internships. 2019 is the first year that this recognition has been offered, and we look forward to many more!
Finally, Jenna and Kirk congratulated Emilie Sears, graduating senior and founding president of UT PRSSA, for her recognition by the university’s Communication Department as Outstanding Public Relations Student. Emilie has embraced public relations as her chosen career path and has been an untiring champion for the benefits of professional organization involvement as a way for aspiring public relations practitioners to begin establishing their own identities. Emilie is now embarking on her search for an entry-level position that will allow her to put her studies and her hands-on experience gained through multiple PR internships to good use.
If these recent experiences are any indication, public relations profession of the future will be in very, very good hands!
Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, congratulates USF scholarship recipients (left to right) Jessica Schmidtetter, Jaiya Williams, and Kayley Alsina
Two presidents at once! PRSA Tampa Bay President Jenna Stock congratulates UT PRSSA Founding President Emilie Sears
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