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Spring 2015 | Vol. 47, Issue 3 | www.prssa.org/FORUM
A Legacy of Service: PRSSA National 2014–2015 National Committee
Faculty Adviser’s Term Concluding
Bids Adieu to PRSSA
VIDEO
BY BRIAN PRICE
Immediate Past
President
Dear PRSSA,
Robert “Pritch” Pritchard’s term as National Faculty Adviser
will come to a close after serving in a national capacity since
2011. Photo courtesy of PRSSA National.
Officially, he is retired Navy
Capt. Robert S. Pritchard, APR,
Fellow PRSA. To PRSSA, he’s
known simply as Pritch, the Society’s National Faculty Adviser
since June 2011. His second twoyear term serving PRSSA National in an official capacity comes to
an end on May 31. Unofficially,
of course, it never will.
Pritch, a professor at the
University of Oklahoma Gaylord
College of Journalism & Mass
Communication, has put student
leadership development at the
forefront of his academic and advising service. His investment and
development in others is significant and is expressed in the high
levels of gratitude. As he finishes
out his final two-year term, there
is no doubt of his lasting legacy.
At the end of any term, there
may be a tendency to look at the
unaccomplished, the “what if”
flashbacks. Pritch’s term in office
shows PRSSA that if strong effort
is combined with care toward
individuals and projects, accomplishments come naturally and a
great legacy is forged.
Pritch has a legacy in PRSSA
that extends beyond the sessions
he has led at national events or
the countless conversations with
members. And while the impact
on the next generation of communicators might not even be fully
recognized for a decade, those
Thank you for an outstanding year. It has truly been a pleasure serving as your National
Committee and watching your Chapters succeed. We wish you the best as you continue in
your careers hope to keep in touch. Whether you graduate this year or in a few years, we
will see you in PRSA soon!
who have been influenced or
mentored by Pritch move forward
in careers with a clear vision of
what to strive for: self-reflection,
servant leadership and likability,
to name a few.
What Pritch has done for
students goes further than PRSSA
service, where he has dedicated a
significant amount of energy. Not
only a member of PRSA’s College
of Fellows, a distinction shared
by fewer than two percent of the
22,000 members, he has chaired
PRSA’s Educators Academy and
the Fellows Educational Initiative
Committee, and plays an integral
role on the Educational Affairs
Committee and Certification in
Education for Public Relations
program. Named PRSA’s Outstanding Educator in 2013 for his
work mentioned in this article,
along with many unmentioned
recognitions and accomplishments, he continues as a resolute
advocate for students.
Great women and men have
led PRSSA in the past, with many
inspiring leaders to come. It is
with confidence that the future of
public relations is better prepared
for long-term success thanks to
the work of Pritch. Despite what
great works may lie ahead for
Pritch, his legacy in PRSSA is already firmly set as one of the most
impactful of his generation and a
lifelong friend and role model to
many of us.
Sincerely,
The PRSSA 2014-2015 National Committee
Learning to React Gracefully to
Defeat at National Assembly
BY CATIA SABAK
to reevaluate my current goals
and develop new, creative ways to
approach my future. Ultimately,
by reshaping the idea of what
defeat is and what it results in, we
conquer it.
Wayne State University
I recently had the distinct honor
of representing Wayne State University at this year’s PRSSA National Assembly as a delegate as
I ran for the 2015–2016 National
Committee.
Be warned — this is no normal
event recap, survival guide or the
typical tale of triumph.
I lost.
But because I learned so much, I
want to share what this experience
has taught me about the tremendous value of defeat:
It builds character.
Never has an experience challenged me or tried my confidence
like this one has. Losing isn’t
easy. Thinking holistically, my
boundaries were pushed and I
grew. In preparing for the election, my peers challenged me to
be my best. I had to work hard,
practice and research. When facing the negative outcome, I had to
abandon pettiness, be mature and
exhibit grace under pressure. I
went through the ringer — as did
all of the candidates — and we
are surely better for it.
It mandates humility.
Defeat bruises your ego. Humans
simply aren’t wired to respond
well to not getting what they
want. When faced with defeat, I
had to swallow my pride and set
hubris aside. Most importantly,
though, I had to accept that what
is best for me — or my ego —
will not always be what is best for
Member Catia Sabak poses with some
friends at National Assembly. Photo
courtesy of Sabak.
the whole. Once that perspective
is established, life becomes so
much more fulfilling, and victories all the sweeter.
It fosters strength
through vulnerability.
By nature, running for a position
is a gamble. I threw myself into
this situation knowing full well
that it might not be my name
called when the winner was announced. In order to prepare myself to give a speech and convince
a room full of my peers to vote
for me, I had to build myself up
with the possibility of being torn
down. Opening ourselves up to
the possibility of defeat is terrifying. Being able to acknowledge
and process negative feelings,
however, will allow us to move
past the initial disappointment and
harness it into renewed motivation.
It challenges you to open your
mind to new possibilities.
Having had my mind so firmly set
on joining the National Committee, I hadn’t fully thought through
alternative options and opportunities available to me. I was forced
In reflecting on my experience as
a candidate this year, I’ve grown
exponentially and learned lessons
that will resonate in every aspect
and stage of my life. I am endlessly grateful for the opportunity
to have been considered among
such incredibly talented, intelligent and qualified peers for a
position on the National Committee and am so proud of what I did.
I am also equally blessed to have
witnessed some of my dearest
friends achieve their goals.
My hope is that when we encounter defeat in any form, we don’t
dwell on the immediate sting. Let
it hurt for a while (and maybe
have some ice cream — it usually
helps). But at some point, we
must learn to move on and see
beyond the “loss” to what is a vast
world of opportunity.
Congratulations to the PRSSA
2015–2016 National Committee on your accomplishment and
what is sure to be a term full of
momentous progress and success.
You make me and the entire Society proud, and we are fortunate
to have you representing and leading us in the effort to advance the
profession.
At this point, I can truly say that
in “losing,” I have won. And
although the prize may not have
been in the form of an outcome in
my favor on election day, my life
is changed for the better. Thank
you, PRSSA.