2019 PRSSA International Conference Reflection

One of the many perks about being a PRSSA member is the opportunity to professionally network. I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend two PRSSA International Conferences, one in Austin, Texas, and the other in San Diego, California. 

Each day at Conference, members chose from a wide array of sessions to attend. Some of my all-time favorite sessions have included crisis management, airline PR, and entertainment PR. Each session is led by professionals in that given field, and they provide students with best practices along with real scenarios in which they’ve had to use their expertise. 

Additionally, given that PRSSA is a pre-professional organization, there are several opportunities to network with PR professionals from almost any industry. That’s the beautiful thing about PRSSA Conferences: almost all of the professionals attending are apart of PRSA, which many PRSSA students join following graduation. With this in mind, they want to help students jumpstart their careers by providing them with career advice. The Champions for PRSSA breakfast is always a huge hit at Conference, with upwards of 50 PRSA members who sit with PRSSA students to hear their aspirations, and ultimately how they can be of help to these students. From this, I’ve met several professionals who are working in the exact industry I want to go into post-graduation. Without attending Conferences, I don’t know whether I would have the ability to network with these professionals.  

While I take so much from these sessions, my favorite part of Conference is without a doubt getting to explore the city in which Conference is being held. Both Conferences I’ve attended have been in such exciting cities. Getting to explore the Texas state capitol building in Austin along with seeing the Unconditional Surrender statue in San Diego are fantastic memories, and without attending a PRSSA International Conference, I would not have had the chance to experience these wonderful cities.

—

Sydney Wishnow is a rising senior at American University studying Public Relations and Strategic Communication with a minor in Political Science. Hailing from Framingham, MA, she is an avid Boston sports fan (go Pats!) and previously held positions on AU PRSSA’s executive board, most recently serving as Vice President. Before that, she served as Digital Communications Director and was also part of the national publications team for PRSSA, serving as the national advertising manager.  When she is not in class, you can find Sydney searching for the best cup of coffee in D.C. or sitting outside reading a good book. After graduation next year, she hopes to enter the world of political public relations, combining her two passions. Get in touch with Sydney at sw2020a@student.american.edu