Some Things May Change, But PRSSA Stays Constant

Read about the reflection of senior and Digital Coordinator, Rachel Mooney, and how PRSSA has positively affected her college career.

By: Rachel Mooney

As I sit typing my first post of the year for the IC PRSSA blog, I find myself looking back on the past three years as a communications student. I’ve gone from club to club, internship to internship, university to a new college, and even state to state, yet one thing has remained a constant in my college career: PRSSA.

The great thing about PRSSA is that it’s a nationally recognized club. Therefore, it keeps you connected as an upcoming PR professional no matter what school you attend. I’ve said it time and time again—I love public relations. Although the title of my major has changed from “Public Relations” since transferring to Ithaca College and becoming a proud Park student, this doesn’t mean my goal of becoming an expert in the craft of PR has changed.

I’m thankful for PRSSA. When I was a freshman at Boston University, a place that could have been overwhelming, I felt comfortable in my PRSSA meetings. Sure I didn’t know many people; however, I still felt like I belonged. I enjoyed quietly listening to the speakers who arrived to our classroom directly from their agencies to discuss what it’s like to be a PR professional. I wasn’t extremely involved my first year, but I was an eager freshman with my ears open and my eyes even wider.

I was ready to take on a little more responsibility with the club when sophomore year rolled around, so I began blogging. Joining the PRSSA blog team is what gave me the final motivational push to begin my personal blog, a publication that has since become a platform to share my voice. I could not be happier that I began communicating my thoughts with anyone who wants to take a read. I have PRSSA to thank for that.

The jump from sophomore year to junior year is where it got a little tricky. I decided to shake up my education and transfer to my current home—Ithaca College. I wasn’t involved in PRSSA my first semester because I was a “newbie” trying to take on as many different roles and experiences as possible on this new campus.

What happened next? I missed PRSSA. I missed the weekly meetings, the camaraderie with peers who share the same passion for communicating, the guest speakers, and of course I missed the blogging.

In the spring semester I jumped right back into the swing of PRSSA and haven’t looked back. I adore PRSSA. I’ve met some of the greatest people through this organization, and I’ve learned so much from everyone I have a conversation with, no matter what year they are in. I don’t believe belonging to clubs during college should feel like a chore. Sure, PRSSA looks great on a resume, but it isn’t just a resume-builder. It’s an outlet for likeminded people—a chance for individuals who potentially want to live and breathe PR one day to come together and share their experiences, to learn from one another, to plan successful events, and have fun while doing it.

I could be a panicked senior right now, but I am not (yet). I believe PRSSA is one of the most important reasons I know that I was meant to be a professional communicator. I’m looking forward to what my final year in this organization has to offer before I put what I’ve learned to work in the professional communications world out there.

I cannot forget to mention the words I heard during my first PRSSA meeting three years ago: