In December of 2017, ODU PRSSA was given the opportunity to host an event for the ODU Communication Department ePortfolio team. Professors Alison Lietzenmayer and Gary Beck approached us with the idea of a collaboration that would benefit both parties; PRSSA members would get the chance to gain real experience and the ePortfolio team would be able to hand off some of the weight on their shoulders. Also, we got paid! In exchange for our PR and marketing services, the ePortfolio team was able to set aside some money that went straight to PRSSA’s bank account and helped fund our annual spring trip. This was a huge milestone for us as a chapter because it was our first ‘for-hire’ job. The event was called the ODU Communication ePortfolio Team’s Signature Event: 5^th Year Connections & Reflections. I know, it’s a mouthful.

Meanwhile, PRSA Hampton Roads (our parent chapter) decided to revamp their annual awards ceremony that year and added a new category: student entries. What a coincidence, right? We knew we had to submit something.

After many hours, many emails, and a hurricane, we finally pulled together an awards entry the week that it was due to be submitted. I have never written any sort of document like this one, so I googled the heck out of “PRSA Awards Winning Entry” and found out that all winning entries from every PRSA chapter throughout the nation are uploaded online! I love the internet.

Not only did I get to read some amazing case studies, but I was also able to get a better idea of what the judges were looking for. You can find my entry on my Portfolio page here.

Although PRSSA’s faculty advisor, Brendan, was banking on the fact that we were probably the only ones submitting anything for the student entries, I was still incredibly nervous. I submitted it as a program under special events, so we weren’t just competing with other students- we were competing with everyone else submitting their special event.

Fast forward a few weeks and the awards ceremony came. Admittedly, my spirits were down. It was a rough week. I came in with low expectations but secretly still hoped for a shout-out. As they finally started announcing the special events winners, my heart was racing and my palms were so slick I almost dropped my glass of water as I went to take a sip. I could barely focus on my food and I was also incredibly paranoid that I would trip and fall if I did have to walk up to the front.

Drum roll please…

WE WON! I wouldn’t have written an entire blog post if we didn’t, honestly. We won an excellence award for our entry and the judges even noted they “especially liked that a survey link was sent out to all guests after.”

I felt so freaking cool walking up there. And then, in true “dad” fashion, Brendan raced up behind me and bent his 6’4” frame and snapped a picture on his phone. If my adrenaline wasn’t pumping so fast and I wasn’t so focused on not tripping, I probably would’ve cried.

Everything was a blur for the next couple minutes as I sat down and the other people at our table congratulated us. Brendan immediately pulled out his phone to start tweeting about our victory.

Honestly, I was barely paying attention after that until the emcee moved onto the big award, Best in Show. He declared, “This entry had the HIGHEST score out of all the entries with 99 out of 100 possible points.”

 

“And the winner of Best in Show is: Old Dominion University Chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America!”

 

WE WON! AGAIN! BEST IN SHOW! Brendan and I looked at each other in pure, unadulterated disbelief. I walked up there again, feeling twice as freaking cool. Now we were really getting everybody’s attention- it was unbelievable that a student entry won Best in Show!

After the ceremony concluded and we finished posting pictures on our respective social media accounts, I was beaming as people came up and congratulated me. I mingled with my former internship supervisors from The Meridian Group and other professionals that I was more acquainted with as we took group pictures.

I sent pictures to my family and, even though they have no idea what the award was for or who gave it out or how much work was put into it, they were super proud nonetheless. I also have ODU PRSSA and the ODU Communication Department to thank, as I wouldn’t be in this position if it weren’t for the opportunities that they gave me. This is undoubtedly going to be the highlight of my college career. Also, if you were curious, the two awards are now proudly displayed on my bookshelf in my bedroom.