Student PR Chapter Named Best In Nation

OMAHA – For the third time in the last seven years, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has been named the nation’s top chapter following this year’s national conference.

UNO’s PRSSA chapter, MavPRSSA, was named best out of all 344 chapters on Monday at the final day of the conference, which was held in Atlanta.

This is the third year MavPRSSA has won the F.H. Teahan Outstanding Chapter Award with previous victories in 2012 and 2009. The prize for winning outstanding chapter is $500 towards student advancement.

“These students represent the best of the best for UNO’s School of Communication,” explained Karen Weber, the chapter’s faculty advisor. “They have worked tirelessly to make sure they achieve and excel in their professional development.”

In addition to being named Outstanding Chapter, MavPRSSA also received recognition as a Star Chapter for the fourth year in a row as one of only 20 chapters to receive the honor, which rewards students’ efforts in professional development and community service.

UNO seniors Angela Eastep and Trent Ostrom also received individual recognition at this year’s conference. Eastep, the chapter’s president, earned the PRSSA National Golden Key Award for excellence in their professional and academic endeavors. Ostrom, the chapter’s recruitment director, earned the Ron Culp National Mentor Scholarship worth $1,000 towards finishing his schooling.

“The students who are part of this organization continue to impress me with their dedication,” Weber said. “I’m thrilled to be part of playing a role in their development and it’s an honor to be considered their mentor. It makes me want to work even harder for them.”

In addition to the awards handed out, MavPRSSA executive members, many of whom are seniors and members of UNO’s student public relations firm, MaverickPR, had a rare opportunity to serve as peer educators as one of eight chapters asked to host a Chapter Development session at the conference. The topic of the session was fundraising.

In total, nine students traveled to Atlanta for this year’s conference. In addition to Eastep and Ostrom, the students who attended included:

Senior Maria Brown
Chapter Communications Director and director of MaverickPR

Senior Kelly Bast
Chapter Creative Director and assistant director of MaverickPR

Graduate Student Casey Riesberg
Chapter Vice President

Jessica Teaford
Chapter Assistant Creative Director and MaverickPR account executive

Kelsey Johnson
Chapter Assistant Recruitment Director and MaverickPR account executive

Susan Payne
Chapter Newsletter Editor and MaverickPR account executive

Misty Flowers
Chapter Public Relations Director and public relations director for MaverickPR.

PRSSA is the pre-eminent professional organizations for students interested in public relations with more than 11,000 members from hundreds of schools across the country.

For more information about MavPRSSA or MaverickPR, please contact Karen Weber at kweber@unomaha.edu.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Sam Petto, UNO Media Relations Coordinator
unonews@unomaha.edu
402.554.2704

or

Charley Reed, UNO Associate Director of Media Relations
unonews@unomaha.edu
402.554.2129

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha
Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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