Tessa Fieri. Courtesy photo.
THOUSAND OAKS — The newly formed California Gold Coast chapter of the Public Relations Society of America recently awarded its inaugural scholarships to two students attending four-year colleges in Ventura, Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo counties to support education and professionalism in communication and public relations.
University of California, Santa Barbara, junior Tessa Fieri is majoring in communication and English, and is completing a study abroad program at the University of Bologna, Italy, which is giving her “new appreciation for the subtle nuance that language fluency allows and the cultural differences that exist within those nuances.” As a PR professional, she aspires to bring perspectives based in global consciousness, understanding of perception and reception, and knowledge of communication as it is based in language, rhetoric and culture.
Krystal Rhaburn. Courtesy photo.
A sophomore communication major at California Lutheran University, Krystal Rhaburn completed more than 200 hours of volunteering in the community, which has inspired her to pursue a public relations career in the nonprofit sector. She plans to “work in the community aspect of the organizations, to foster and strengthen relationships between the nonprofits and the communities around them.”
The two scholarships of $500 each were awarded based on student academic merit and community involvement. “The heart of a successful PR career is service to truth and to one’s community. It’s the hallmark of professionalism in our field,” said Nancy Mayerson, chapter president. “Nonprofit organizations and government agencies rely heavily on communication and community outreach to fulfill their missions. We want to inspire our future professionals to have a positive impact on the community and believe that the scholarship program helps to achieve that. We also hope to grow the scholarship program.”
PRSA is a nonprofit organization chartered in 1947 and the world’s largest organization of public relations professionals with more than 21,000 public relations and communications professionals across the United States. The California Gold Coast Chapter was founded in 2014 and serves Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. For more information, visit www.prsagoldcoast.org.