Learn More About Vanguard’s Public Relations Student Society of America Chapter

Vanguard University opened their first communications student-led chapter known as the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). The head of the Communications Department hand-selected the board members that would be in charge of running the PRSSA Chapter. This chapter is currently being advised by two Communication professors within the department.

What is the PRSSA Chapter? Vanguard University’s PRSSA Chapter is one of many chapters in Southern California. A few other PRSSA Chapters in Southern California are Cal State Fullerton, CSU LA, Biola, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Northridge, San Diego State, and Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Students who join the PRSSA Chapter at Vanguard University have access to beneficial resources. Some of those resources are scholarships, internships, and the ability to network amongst peers and professionals. Brenda Springer, the founder and CEO of Reveille, is a PR professional who helps supervise the club. The chapter members even have the ability to contact and learn directly from Brenda herself!

The two faculty advisors advising the chapter are Professor Heinly and Professor Kasa, communications head. Fortunately, an interview with Professor Heinly, she revealed more information about her history as a PR professional and information on the chapter and what it has to offer!

“I had my own PR and marketing consulting firm for 30 years, J&J Consulting (www.jandjconsulting.net). Over that time, I helped nearly 60 companies nationwide expand their businesses through successful PR programs. My client base included companies in the real estate, health care, and book publishing industries. I also owned, with a couple of partners, a sports marketing firm, The Sports Strategists, in Colorado for several years. We worked with professional athletes as well as several of the Olympic sports at the training center in Colorado Springs, Colorado,” stated Professor Heinly when asked about her prior experience.

Professor Heinly was sure to share that she has been a member of the national PRSA for 40 years and has held local, as well as national, volunteer positions for PRSA during that time. She shares how being a PRSSA member while she attended Cal State Fullerton benefitted her,“Through PRSSA, I was able to garner several internships as well as a part-time job at a local advertising and PR firm my senior year of college”.

Professor Heinly exclaims, “I am very excited about being the faculty advisor for our new Vanguard PRSSA chapter, and look forward to helping it grow with the help of Brenda Springer, a Vanguard alumni and owner of the PR and marketing firm Reveille in Costa Mesa. I am hoping the board, as well as the VU members, will take advantage of all the PRSSA membership opportunities on both a local and national level”.

By the end of our interview, more information on some of the benefits and resources available to PRSSA members were disclosed. Professor Heinly shares how there are national scholarship opportunities available to PRSSA members as well as access to potential internships and jobs via the national PRSA website.

Therefore, if there are any Vanguard Communication Public Relations students interested in learning more about the PRSSA Chapter or simply want to become a member today, be sure to go to https://prssa.prsa.org/join-prssa/ and follow the Instagram page @VUPRSSA for more information.