Introducing: Sunshine District PRSSA to PRSA Membership Scholarship Program

Thanks to the new PRSA Sunshine District PRSSA to PRSA Membership Scholarship program, the PRSA Greater Orlando chapter gained three new members! The program awards scholarships to cover membership dues to students. Let’s get to know two of the membership scholarship recipients and recent graduates!

Blair Colson, University of Florida, April 2022

Tell us about your career goals OR current role/organization:

I am currently working as an Assistant Account Executive at Edelman, from the Orlando office. I reside on the healthcare team, focusing on earned media, monitoring, and exec visibility. I also am starting to get more involved in the digital side because I have always had a passion for paid media!

What is your favorite aspect of communications and why?

My favorite aspect of communications would be anything related to social media and community management. At this point in time, it is obvious that social media can be a great asset to a brand, but also create potential crises if not monitored. I love how PR practitioners can create/promote content that goes directly to the consumers and further shapes a brand’s reputation.

Where do you think the communications field is headed?

I think the communications field is continuously growing because of new technology, society’s needs, and the upcoming generation of storytellers. With communication being possible through so many methods, this industry is going to continue to expand, whether that’s with more agencies or corporations expanding their PR team to meet more everyday demands.

What do you hope to get out of your PRSA Orlando membership?

Since the UF PRSSA allowed me to learn valuable information to get started in my career, I hope to connect with people in Orlando that can help me grow and evolve in this field. I am excited to learn from PR leaders that were also once starting out and meet new people with similar interests.

Jailyn Hall, University of South Florida, May 2022

Tell us about your career goals OR current role/organization:

Currently, I am an Account Coordinator at an ad tech company. In my role, I assist managers with day-to-day operations for client satisfaction. Many of my tasks are currently centered around trafficking campaigns for launch and monitoring and troubleshooting any request that may come in.

What is your favorite aspect of communications and why?

My favorite aspect are the many different channels we can utilize and send one centralized message. It’s incredible to see how brands are growing their social media presence to appeal to Gen-Z while keeping traditional outlets that work in mind.

Where do you think the communications field is headed?

I think the communications field is evolving every minute. These days, all it takes is a funny meme or three-minute video to go viral, meaning we are under a microscope at all times as audiences around the world wait for good (and bad) news to be shared by the click of a button. With this, brands are strongly encouraged to be inclusive for everyone while aiming to align with a specific audience. Although it may be challenging, I believe this change is necessary and happening for the better in order to promote tolerance beyond the extent of our field.

What do you hope to get out of your PRSA Orlando membership?

I hope to meet new and tenured professionals. I would love to find ways to get involved by mentoring and ushering in any graduating students who may also be interested in joining the organization. PRSSA was an incredible resource while I was in school, and I look forward to PRSA being more of the same. I am so excited to be a part of this chapter! I know we will continue to do great things.

Look for Jailyn and Blair at upcoming PRSA Orlando events and be sure to introduce yourself and wish them a warm PRSA welcome.