Written by PRSSA member Cassandra Kaawaloa
This November I was privileged enough to attend my first ever PRSSA National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Although I was only able to attend three of the five days that the conference consisted of, the experience and knowledge I gained is immeasurable. Hosted at the Marriott in Downtown Atlanta, the conference consisted of invaluable lessons, inspiring keynote speakers, a cozy hotel room with two of my fellow PRSSA members and 47 floors of incredible city views.
I started my weekend with over 1,200 other student members at an early morning welcome reception and continental breakfast. I was able to meet students from all over the country and even hear from a few local sponsors. The highlight of the morning included a step team performance by some of the most talented children I’ve ever seen, followed by a moving presentation from keynote speaker Scott Williamson, Vice President of Public Relations and Communications at Coca-Cola. Fellow attendee and chapter president, Natalie Mason and I even represented SDSU during the individual school roll call. Our two-person cheer was small in comparison to the larger groups from other
chapters, but we made up for it with spirited Aztec pride.
As a new JMS student, I was interested in attending National Conference because I wanted to learn from different speakers from across the country and experience a larger networking opportunity firsthand. The trip did just that, as there were at least four sessions every day and usually three or four presentations to choose from per session. These panels were as diverse as they were interesting, as one could choose between fashion or sports PR in one sitting and a public speaking or compelling writing workshop in the next. I’d have to say that my favorite part of the conference was hearing from so many professionals from all different walks of life and how passionate they were about their work. Scott Williamson shared great advice from his time in the industry and inspired me in so many ways. Have you ever met a man that was so committed to his work that he’d walk out of a restaurant if they served Pepsi products? Meet Scott Williamson. Jim Cantore, host and meteorologist from The Weather Channel shared examples of how his industry has evolved with rising social media use. He was funny, engaging, and even shared some of his best and worst moments with us, including hysterical excitement over extreme snow thunderstorms and some unfortunate Twitter fails.
The passion in the work that these professionals showed was truly worth the trip, as I’ve returned to SDSU more excited than ever. National Conference gave me so much insight into how many opportunities and different paths there are out there. I am still so elated to have been given this opportunity by PRSA and the PRSSA Chapter at SDSU. I received invaluable lessons, made connections and found inspiration in how many other students and members I met and shared interests with. I hope that next year other members from SDSU can join me and share the wealth that is the PRSSA National Conference.
I started my weekend with over 1,200 other student members at an early morning welcome reception and continental breakfast. I was able to meet students from all over the country and even hear from a few local sponsors. The highlight of the morning included a step team performance by some of the most talented children I’ve ever seen, followed by a moving presentation from keynote speaker Scott Williamson, Vice President of Public Relations and Communications at Coca-Cola. Fellow attendee and chapter president, Natalie Mason and I even represented SDSU during the individual school roll call. Our two-person cheer was small in comparison to the larger groups from other
chapters, but we made up for it with spirited Aztec pride.
As a new JMS student, I was interested in attending National Conference because I wanted to learn from different speakers from across the country and experience a larger networking opportunity firsthand. The trip did just that, as there were at least four sessions every day and usually three or four presentations to choose from per session. These panels were as diverse as they were interesting, as one could choose between fashion or sports PR in one sitting and a public speaking or compelling writing workshop in the next. I’d have to say that my favorite part of the conference was hearing from so many professionals from all different walks of life and how passionate they were about their work. Scott Williamson shared great advice from his time in the industry and inspired me in so many ways. Have you ever met a man that was so committed to his work that he’d walk out of a restaurant if they served Pepsi products? Meet Scott Williamson. Jim Cantore, host and meteorologist from The Weather Channel shared examples of how his industry has evolved with rising social media use. He was funny, engaging, and even shared some of his best and worst moments with us, including hysterical excitement over extreme snow thunderstorms and some unfortunate Twitter fails.
The passion in the work that these professionals showed was truly worth the trip, as I’ve returned to SDSU more excited than ever. National Conference gave me so much insight into how many opportunities and different paths there are out there. I am still so elated to have been given this opportunity by PRSA and the PRSSA Chapter at SDSU. I received invaluable lessons, made connections and found inspiration in how many other students and members I met and shared interests with. I hope that next year other members from SDSU can join me and share the wealth that is the PRSSA National Conference.
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