Ļć½¶Ö±²„Department of Communication launches student-led media agency
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.āA new three-hour course in Ļć½¶Ö±²„ās Department of Communication is the basis of the recently established Public Relations and Integrated Student Media Agency, or PRISM.
The full-service, student-led public relations firm is under the direction of Terri Hernandez, Ļć½¶Ö±²„assistant professor of communication and faculty adviser. Junior Emily Pschigoda of Wheaton, Illinois, is the first accounts director for the group that provides communication and branding services to local profit and nonprofit groups.Ģż
Hernandez said the student-led team works with clients to learn what types of communication strategies work best for their business or organization and teaches them how to use these strategies to continue to build their brand in the future.
Pschigoda leads a team of 11 students in hands-on planning, developing and execution of client campaigns, and the students earn college credit while getting real-life, practical learning experience and bridging classroom knowledge. Clients do not pay for services, but instead offer a donation to help offset the budget. Pschigoda said clients benefit from a team that is āeager to learn and create.ā
āWhen you work with students like us, youāre getting a group that is unconditionally passionate for the project. You are getting fresh minds with excitement for the profession and a group of people locked into the trends and topics of the time,ā Pschigoda said.
Hernandez said Pschigodaās prior work experience with Ļć½¶Ö±²„athletics as leader of the Ļć½¶Ö±²„tennis teamsā social media account and liaison for promoting team events means the communication major āis a great asset to the agency because she manages and leads with great competency and always takes the initiative.ā
Pschigoda said while organizational skills and a great team are imperative, passion and excitement also are key to success. She plans to graduate in 2020 and seek a public relations career in the sports industry.
āHaving worked in athletics for almost two years, I think [the new] agency has really shown me how to think in alternative mindsets with different brands. It has allowed me to be creative for many different types of businesses through writing, social media content creation, and targeting different demographics.ā
Additional PRISM team members include:
BATESVILLEāLiz E. Roak, account coordinator, a junior communication/public relations major.
CARTHAGEāCarly L. Pippin, account coordinator, a junior communication/public relations major.
CLEVELANDāMalik T. Ross, creative director, a senior business administration/marketing and pre law major.
FRANKLIN, TennesseeāCharlotte D. Corr, account coordinator, a junior communication/public relations major.
JACKSON, TennesseeāTerry B. Johnson, videographer, a junior communication/broadcasting major.
OCEAN SPRINGSāKylie R. Tuttle, social media analyst, a communication/public relations major.
PURVISāTate O. Smith, copywriter, a communication/public relations major.
STARKVILLEāJordan Criswell, social media coordinator, a senior communication/public relations major.
TONEY, AlabamaāBlake M. Williams, social media director, a junior communication/public relations and journalism major.
WEST POINTāAngela J. Reives, copywriter, a senior communication/public relations major.
Although public relations or communication experience is strongly preferred, PRISM also encourages other majors, such as marketing, business, and law, among others, to join the team to add different perspectives.
Interested students may contact Hernandez at thernandez@comm.msstate.edu.Ģż Ā
For more about the agency, visit: .
MSUās College of Arts and Sciences, home of the communication department, includes more than 5,300 students, 300 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs and 25 academic majors offered in 14 departments.ĢżComplete details about the College of Arts and Sciences or the communication department may be found at or .
Ļć½¶Ö±²„is Mississippiās leading university, available online atĀ .Ģż