FORUM
Thoughts from the
President’s Desk:
Mindfulness and
Spring Cleaning
By Ashleigh Kathryn
National President
The “New Year, New Me”
mindset is trending and
school is about to start up
again. Your classes are
posting assignments, your Chapter is promoting its first
meeting of the semester and you are making your way
to the gym and trying to eat healthier. You are sprinting
down the track of success, but old habits slowly creep
back in and before you know it, you are burnt out by
March. Does this sound familiar?
This cycle may happen a few times throughout the year,
but it continues to do so because we want to keep
improving. We keep moving forward and forget about
being “mindful” in the present. We say yes to everything
trying to get ahead, but we become so overwhelmed that
we actually make matters worse in the long run.
Be present. Be mindful. Discover success.
I was at a dinner with PRSSA students and public
relations practitioners when I heard about being
“mindful” and what it really means. “It suggests that
the mind is fully attending to what’s happening, to what
you’re doing, to the space you’re moving through.” A
student shared with me that he was writing a blog about
mindfulness in communications and the practitioners
brought up points about how now students are
constantly re-setting the bar, but are often so spread
thin.
Ambition is our double-edged sword. It can make or
break us depending on how we manage our attention
and execution. Take the steps this semester to be
more mindful of your presence, instead of focusing on
constant change.
“Solutions that ask us to change who we are or become
something we’re not have failed us over and over again.
Mindfulness recognizes and cultivates the best of who
we are as human beings.”
Mindfulness will allow you to discover success as a
“process” of learning new insights. These insights are
the key things that might be hindering your growth as
a leader, innovator and student within your Chapter or
Firm.
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OPEN
FORUM
2
WINTER 2019
Vol. 51, Issue 2
www.prssa.prsa.org/forum
Five Takeaways from PRSSA
“Art of PR” National Conference
By Members of Grand Valley State
University
Grand Valley State University PRSSA trav-
eled to Austin, Texas, for the PRSSA Na-
tional Conference. After a wild weekend in
the South, “Art of PR” had us fixin’ to spill
the beans on our biggest takeaways!
Emily Gagnon: There’s more than
one way to bake a cake
PRSSA National Conference opened my
eyes to the variety in Chapters and their
organizational structures. The exposure to
different Chapters made me realize just
how beneficial it is to be part of an interna-
tional association, allowing for networking
and learning beyond our boundaries. This
Conference also proved just how naive I
was to naturally think that all PRSSA Chap-
ters were structured the same. There was
a workshop where members were able to
discuss their Chapter’s best practices and
address issues they have come across.
This was inspiring because we were able
to brainstorm, problem solve and come
up with new ideas together. This not only
strengthens our individual Chapters, but
improves PRSSA as a whole.
Amanda Hume: Advice from PRos
HGTV. It’s also reassuring that there is
no right or wrong direction to take when
heading into the “real world,” as there has
been success shown in various ways and
forms. Each person entering this field has
a unique story to share.
Delaney Mackenzie: The Art of Con-
flict and Crisis
One of my favorite sessions was “The
Art of Conflict and Crisis,” led by Dr. Ra-
quel Perez, Aileen Izquierdo and Heather
Radi-Bermudez from Florida Internation-
al University, which experienced its own
public relations crisis last spring when
a pedestrian bridge on campus fell and
killed six people. These three women led
a powerful discussion on crisis, how it is
inevitable and how to recover from one.
The best piece of advice they gave was to
think of worst-case scenarios, prepare and
make sure every employee understands
the message. These three women deliv-
ered such a riveting session that I can still
hear their words of advice echoing in my
head. It was a presentation I will never
forget.
Allyssa Murphy: The fuel of emotions
One of the most interesting sessions that
I was able to attend was titled “Becoming
the Change: Rising From Tragedy to March
for Our Lives.” The guest speakers were
Brendan Duff and Delaney Tarr.
PRSSA National Conference provides
attendees the opportunity to see and hear
some high-ranking public relations pros
share their stories and experiences in
the industry. These professionals not only
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freely handed out advice to us aspiring
public relations students, but
talked about how they got to
where they are today. Hearing
each speaker talk about their
journey to success opened my
eyes to the many pathways we
have once we graduate from
college. One example is Gary
McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA,
who had a session focused on
strategic event planning. He
shared that he never would
have imagined he’d be an
event planner but his organi-
zational skills and strategic
Members of the Grand Valley University PRSSA Chapter (back row, left to
planning led him in that direc- right): Trevor Bryan, Sofia Anderson, Emily Gagnon, Brendan Duff, Delaney
Tarr, Delaney McKenzie, Allyssa Murphy
tion and allowed him to work
(front row left to right): Madison Farhat-Tomaszewski, Amanda Hume,
with a big-name client such as
Sabrina Antcliff, Courtney Fogle
Not able to attend
the PRSSA 2018
National Conference
this year, don’t
worry! Check out the
quick recap with the
top five takeaways.
4
There are
nine Regional
Conferences
happening this
spring. We hope to
see you and your
Chapter at one soon!
7
Get ready to kick off
another semester
with your Chapter.
The time is now to
seize the moment
and build upon past
successes!