How Earning My APR Prepared Me to Win the 2025 NSPRA Gold Medallion Award

By Aurora Meyer, APR
Oct., 2025

When the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) named Columbia Public Schools one of 13 school districts and organizations nationwide to receive the 2025 NSPRA Gold Medallion Award, I felt enormous pride in our team and the project we submitted. But just as quickly, I thought of another milestone, the day in 2018 when I passed my exam and earned my Accreditation in Public Relations (APR). That credential shaped how I approached the campaign that won national recognition, and it continues to shape how I work every day.

Our winning entry, Student Safety Initiatives in CPS: Our Course of Action, represented years of work to build a culture of transparency and trust around student safety. That work began soon after I joined the district in 2020. The Gold Medallion honored the campaign, but it was my APR that prepared me to put the pieces together and led to the campaign success.

Building a Foundation of Strategy

The APR process emphasizes the RPIE framework: Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. This approach gave me the language for what I was already practicing and helped make it second nature as I was studying for the exam. It now serves as the foundation for every campaign our department undertakes.

Instead of jumping straight to tactics, we started with research, listening to students, staff and families and reviewing internal data. But we didn’t limit ourselves to internal data. We studied other districts’ practices and reviewed past NSPRA Gold Medallion winners to identify strategies that worked. That outside perspective gave us a clearer view of best practices. We also asked “why” at every step, set measurable objectives, and aligned our goals with district priorities.

There were moments when it would have been easier to just move directly to the tactics, but my APR training reminded me that activity is not the same as impact. That commitment to strategy paid off. When the NSPRA jury later praised the depth of our entry, I knew it reflected APR standards in action.

Elevating Ethical Decision-Making

The APR deepened my commitment to PRSA’s Code of Ethics, which guided the direction of this campaign.

Student safety communications required balancing honesty with sensitivity. We had to be transparent without causing alarm, share important data while protecting privacy, and include student voices while respecting boundaries.

This consistency made a difference. Students, staff, families and ultimately the community started to see the district not as a distant as a partner invested in their safety.

Demonstrating Leadership Beyond Tactics

Earning the APR taught me that communicators are not just tacticians, but counselors and leaders. That shift in mindset was evident in this project.

We built education opportunities for students and the community into the plan. We gave the community the opportunity to see the safety measure in action at football games.

We also ensured staff capacity was part of the budget because no plan works without the time and people to carry it out. These decisions reflected APR-driven strategic thinking that elevated our communications from tactical to organizational leadership.

Communicating With Clarity and Reach

Implementation required discipline. We mapped strategies and actions to track milestones and ensure alignment across schools. Video storytelling became one of our strongest tools, helping families and staff see safety measures in action and prepare students for the first time walking through the pillars.

From the judge’s feedback, we also learned where we could improve. We could have shared more about how we adjusted messaging during the first week of rollout and other ways we worked to share the message before the school year started and after the school year began. These reflections remind me that communication is always iterative, and that transparency about process strengthens credibility. Ultimately, our future campaigns will be stronger.

Embedding Evaluation as a Discipline

The APR changed my how I viewed evaluation. It is not an afterthought; it is the proof of impact.

We measured shifts in perceptions of safety and tracked engagement data. More importantly, we carried those lessons forward. For example, what we learned during the campaign is now improving how we introduce safety protocols to each new freshman class. That reflection and application of results was one of the strengths noted by the Gold Medallion judges.

The APR as a Career Catalyst

Winning the Gold Medallion was a milestone, but earning the APR was the turning point. It refined my strategic thinking, sharpened my ethical judgment, and gave me the confidence to lead with clarity.

It also connected me to a community of mentors and peers through PRSA. That network continues to provide perspective and accountability as I mentor others beginning their APR journey.

Looking Ahead

As I accepted the award at NSPRA’s 2025 Conference this past summer, I knew the Gold Medallion was not an endpoint. It was a reminder of responsibility. As Accredited professionals, we all are tasked with modeling best practices, mentoring others, and continuing to raise the bar for our field.

If you are considering the APR, my advice is simple: pursue it. The time, effort, and reflection will not only transform your work and career, what you learn may also be reflected in a national recognition.