By Kelsey Duxstad
This week, the Texas Public Relations Student Society of America hosted its first in-person meeting in over a year at the Dealey Center for New Media!
The room was filled with students of all ages who were eager to be back in person with those who share their same passion for communications. At the meeting, the new executive board revealed exciting opportunities for all members this year. Dr. Ciszek, professor at the University of Texas at Austin and new Texas PRSSA faculty advisor, was also in attendance and gave some insight into their experience as a public relations professional.
There were two specific opportunities highlighted at this week's meeting, and the executive board encouraged all members to take advantage of them. The first is the Texas PRSSA mentor program for this fall semester. Any active member can apply for this mentorship program, and applications are due on Sept. 21, at 11:59 p.m. This is a great chance for any student wanting to explore a certain field in communications, whether it be political, entertainment, non-profit, corporate etc. Students should be as specific as possible when filling out the application, so our professional development executive, Mia Carriles, can match you with your perfect mentor.
Students were also informed of a few creative positions open for application this year. The Texas PRSSA Social Media Committee is looking for two to three new members who are media savvy and have an interest in content creation. This position is perfect for building your resume and refining your leadership skills. The committee is in charge of engaging followers on the chapter’s social media platforms, creating content through sites like Canva, drafting articles for the chapter’s blog and photographing all chapter events. Students are encouraged to apply through our website and direct questions to our communications executive, Samantha Seal. The application is due Sept. 21, at 11:59 p.m. Both the mentorship application and the Social Media Committee application can be found at the link in our social media bio.
Finally, Texas PRSSA was treated to some valuable advice by Dr. Ciszek, the chapter’s new faculty advisor. Ciszek offered guidance to UT students by clarifying the specificities of PR professionals’ jobs. Everyone's path as a student and as a professional will be different, and it is perfectly fine not to know your path right now. Trying new things such as event planning, social media content creation or even crisis management will help you find your true interests in the communications field. “The industry is constantly changing, which makes PR an exciting field to work in,” Dr. Ciszek emphasized.
As a final reminder, chapter dues should be turned in by October 1st, and are counted for one full year. Next week, there is a chapter profit share at Pizza Press. From 6-8 p.m. 20% of the proceeds will be donated to Texas PRSSA if you mention our organization’s name at the register. Last but not least--the next chapter meeting will be held on September 21st at 7:30 p.m. See everyone there!