Investing in Public Relations Education: A Shared Commitment

“Education is the key to unlocking the world. It is the passport to freedom.” — Oprah Winfrey

Education as a passport to freedom. Heady stuff, right! And true. Oh, so very true.

As we enter the back-to-school season, it’s an opportune time to take a look at PRSA and its investment in education. 

Personally and professionally, I’ve long found great reward in work that strengthens the bond between those who teach and those who practice — work that ultimately benefits students. 

The folks featured here do, too. Let’s take a look at four professionals and respected leaders, and learn how they invest in education. We’ll discover there are several ways to “pay it forward.”

John L. Paluszek, APR, Fellow PRSA, president, PRSA 1989

“Public relations has come of age, and with that has come a critical need for broadly based education that is relevant and connected to the practice” (From “Public Relations Education for the 21st Century: A Point of Entry,” The Commission on Public Relations Education, October 1999).

As co-chair of that Commission, I began my enduring support for the vital connection between PR education and professional practice.

Fast forward to today: That commitment was recently honored with the establishment of an academic scholarship in my name at my alma mater, Manhattan University, supporting students in its liberal arts program, including public relations.

The inaugural recipient is Elizabeth Kalaj, a senior with outstanding academic and community service accomplishments — and the first in her family to attend college.

Through the years, other activities in which I’ve been involved are included here to encourage professionals to consider the varied opportunities for such collaboration:

• Support for the Commission on Public Relations Education
• Professional adviser for a PRSSA Chapter and/or a classroom guest lecturer 
• Financial contributions to PRSSA and The PRSA Foundation.
• Online visits to the PRSA Educators Academy and the Counselors to Higher Education for potential cooperative opportunities
• Site visits for school certification and/or Accreditation through PRSA’s Certification in Public Relations Education program and the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications

A helpful guiding principle, a quote paraphrased from Plato: “Those holding torches will pass them to one another.”

Rochelle Ford, Ph.D., APR, CEO, The Page Society

I always wanted to be a teacher, but I fell in love with journalism and advocacy, which led me to public relations. Combining the two, I dedicated my career to PR education first as a professor and adviser to PRSSA. Consequently, I became a college administrator including roles as a sequence coordinator, chair, associate dean, dean and university president.  

Along the way, I became active in the accreditation of journalism and mass communications programs through Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC), the certification of public relations programs through PRSA and the regional Accreditation of colleges and universities through Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Each of these programs to evaluate the quality of higher education needs communications professionals to serve as reviewers. Most of these evaluation bodies also have professionals serve to set the standards of excellence to ensure educational programs prepare students for careers. I learned so much through this evaluation process and reclaimed additional hope in our industry’s future.

The most important role I’ve served has been one of mentor, coach and sponsor to students, faculty and staff. I am a proud mentor through formal programs like Champions of PRSSA, Diversity Action Alliance Mentoring Accelerating Progress and Success, and Page’s Diverse Futures Program and through naturally occurring relationships with not only students I taught but also those whom I met at conferences and events.  

Beyond giving personal time and talent to help in education, I give of my treasure to support education. I give financially to specific public relations and communications university programs, but also to support scholarships, case study competitions, research, travel, professional development and more.  

A simple check mark on my Page Society and PRSA dues renewals enables me to support PR education.  Contributions programs like UNCF and the Thurgood Marshall Fund provide critical support to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and their students. 

Thomas Bennett III, president, the PRSA Foundation

As the 2025 president of the PRSA Foundation, my role is to ensure that its mission is fulfilled, including defining and pursuing its vision, strategic planning, board engagement, as well as fiduciary and operational oversight.

The PRSA Foundation focuses on providing scholarships, grants and internship opportunities for diverse college students pursuing a career in the PR and communications profession. Since 2003, the Foundation has awarded $1,036,900 across 438 scholarship awards, as well as 19 fellowships that included internships. Part of the Foundation’s mission is to work toward making the PR and communications profession more diverse, inclusive, and a place where everyone feels they belong, and we do that by tackling the college pipeline.

We’re able to offer scholarships grants, and internship opportunities to diverse students thanks to companies, organizations, agencies and individual donors who make donations or are sponsors of the PRSA Foundation. We also have the support of the PRSA Foundation board, who volunteer their time to fulfill the mission of the organization. Our board is passionate about diversifying the profession and helping advance the next generation of PR and communications professionals.

Gary McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA, president, PRSA 2010

I support a number of education-focused initiatives, and the one that receives most of my TLC is Champions for PRSSA.

Founded in 1981 by Betsy Plank, APR, Fellow PRSA, the Champions for PRSSA, formerly called Friends of PRSSA, bring together those who have special, ongoing interest in PRSSA, its student members and PR education. 

Champions help PRSSA members prepare for entering the workforce, connect them with professionals in their area and help them understand more about the PR profession. Since 1981, Champions have supported scholarships, networking events and underwritten costs to students at ICON and PRSSA National Assembly. 

For the last several years, the Champions have underwritten the costs of one of the meals at ICON for PRSSA students, combining it with a networking event that typically brings more than 60 professionals together with students in attendance. 

One of the goals is to help students begin a professional network to help them with entering the workforce. This has become one of the most popular events at ICON for both students and professionals, resulting in long-term mentoring relationships for many. 

One student, Brian Price, was a sophomore when he attended ICON in 2010 in Washington, DC. Not knowing anyone, he approached a professional and started a conversation. Ironically, he picked me, who at the time was Chair of PRSA. Brian and I began a relationship that would see him become the national President of PRSSA, and our relationship has continued for more than 15 years.  

Many previous PRSSA leaders have transitioned to become Champions, seeing firsthand the benefits they have received, including Cedric Bess, Chris Bonelli, Amy Hennessey, Kent Landers, Kevin Saghy, Sankalp Sharma and current Champion Co-Chair Gina Laughlin. 

Betsy’s commitment to helping students by providing professionals who are committed to helping students has opened up untold opportunities for the students and professionals. 

Visit PRsay in September to learn about students who are the beneficiaries of the important work of the professionals mentioned in this article.