As I sit on my flight to Scottsdale, I can’t help but to think about my experiences so far with PRSSA. It has provided me with vast experiences and given me the opportunity to travel all across the country. During my freshman year I went to National Conference in Washington, DC. Sophomore year I went to Austin, Texas, for National Assembly and right now I am traveling to Scottsdale, Arizona, for the Leadership Rally.

The Public Relations Student Society of America has helped me develop into the young adult and young professional that I am today. This organization has not only enhanced my professional skills but has helped me explore my social and leadership skills as well.

My freshman year of college was hard. I hated being away from home. I loved the friends that I had made and I really enjoyed my classes but I still didn’t feel quite settled. I came into college knowing that I wanted to major in Public Relations and I knew I wanted to be involved with my major. After about a month or so I found out about PRSSA and knew that I had to be apart of it.

Towards the middle of my first semester of school the UD PRSSA chapter president announced that National Conference was coming up and explained how valuable the experience was. I was determined to try this, as a freshman this may have been a little eager but I do not regret it one bit.

It was October 2014 in Washington DC when I officially drank the PRSSA Kool-Aid. I started off incredibly awkward and slightly overwhelmed but luckily I had a friend with me who showed me the way. After that first day of the conference, I was hooked. My peers immediately inspired me. The determination of the crowd of people made me itch to become more involved with the organization. I left the conference with a new outlook on my major, an abundance of new ideas for my chapter and a drive to nurture all of my PRSSA experiences to the best of my ability.

If you ask anyone in PRSSA the best part of this organization or the best part of going to events, many will leave you with an answer that consists of the people that you meet. I have had the privilege of meeting students from all over the country. I have built a network that ranges from state-to-state and I have been able to make true friends that have the same passion and desire that I do.

These students that I have met are what makes me so driven. The amount of leaders I have met through going to PRSSA events is astonishing. These are students that go the extra mile. Many of these students balance school, work, and activities but still go above and beyond to find opportunities that will benefit their professional career. If it were not for some of these students I would never be as involved with PRSSA today. We encourage each other, we support each other and most of all we inspire each other and for that I am grateful.