Shayna Venick is a determined young woman and was recently elected as the next Public Relations Student Society of America President. This organization is for any student who is majoring in Mass Communication. Students come together to learn helpful tips for future success and this organization allows students the opportunity for hands on experience by being exposed to different ad agencies in Atlanta. I have had the pleasure of working with Shayna in the past with different clients and we will be serving on the PRSSA Executive Board together for this coming year. I have complete faith in this young woman and that she will excel in her position. Her passion and determination to make this organization the best it can be is apparent and sincere.
HC: How does it feel being the next Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) President?
SV: I am very excited to be the next President. I am honored that my peers have faith in me to handle this position. I cannot wait to have the opportunity to teach the member’s different useful tips and tricks to help them succeed in whatever they would like to do. I am also excited to learn, I know I will gain so much from this opportunity. PRSSA is supposed to help people with things outside of class & there were so many things that I noticed were not being done. It was seeing this that made me want to run for president. It made me want to have the chance to make PRSSA the best that it can be.
HC: What were you previously involved in with PRSSA and with The Department of Mass Communication before?
SV: Previously I have had the opportunity to work with three different clients through Spectrum Public Relations, which is where PRSSA members have the opportunity to work in teams with clients in the Milledgeville area for either a semester or for a year. I have worked as the Event Coordinator for Chatter Boutique, the Account Executive for Stacked Sandwiches and More and the Community Relations manager for Walk MS. Currently I am planning the senior luncheon and I am the Public Relations Account Executive for our web series in multimedia storytelling where my team created a research brief and I presented our research at a conference. My dream is to one day live and work in New York in the advertising/strategic communications field.
HC: What is your favorite part of being in PRSSA?
SV: My favorite part would have to be meeting everyone in the organization that has the same passion as myself. It is incredible everything that I have learned from older members that have come before me and the opportunity I have to pass that information on to all of PRSSA’s members.
HC: What are some goals you have set for yourself as President?
SV: The goals that I have set for myself are simple. I want to make sure that every member that comes into PRSSA leaves with more knowledge then they came in with. We learn so many important skills in our classes, but at the same time there is so much else to learn. In PRSSA, students have the opportunity to learn about interview skills, how to properly dress for interviews and the importance of a proper social media presence to name a few things. I want the members of PRSSA to be the most prepared for the world they are going to be entering into one day.
HC: What is the most important part of being a part of PRSSA and what would you tell potential new members?
SV: The most important part of PRSSA is all the opportunities that are presented to us as members. Knowledge is so important and I want every member to have the confidence knowing they have received the most up to date and best knowledge. For potential new members I would tell them to join early and get involved as soon as you can. PRSSA is an organization where the more you put in, the more you will get out. It is never too soon to get started and even now as I am interviewing for internships, agencies are impressed that I have been gaining real world experience in college through this student run organization and the different leadership roles I have held in Spectrum Public Relations.