Sam Houston State University’s Public Relations Student Society of America chapter recently conducted their annual election in hopes of replacing the graduating officers. Junior mass communication major Christopher Young was elected as the President of the organization for the 2015-16 school year.
Young said he has big plans for the organization next year as he will be attempting to fill the “big” shoes of former president and SHSU alumnus, Misti Jones—even if she only stands at 5-feet-tall.
HZ: How long have you been part of PRSSA?
CY: I have been a member of the Sam Houston State University chapter of PRSSA since 2013.
HZ: What positions have you held thus far?
CY: As a member of our chapter I have held two officer positions—vice president and I was recently elected president. In addition to those officer positions I have been on several fundraising committees.
HZ: Why did you decide to initially join PRSSA?
CY: Well, when I transferred to Sam Houston State University in the fall of 2013 I didn’t know many people or have many friends. All that I really knew for sure when I transferred to Sam was that I was going to major in mass communication. I was not even sure what concentration I was going into. When taking 1332 Writing for Mass Media with Dr. Karen Lee, members of PRSSA came into our class and told us about the organization and it peaked my interest. PR had caught my interest in my intro class and I wanted a way to become more involved here at Sam. I could not decide if I was going to attend a meeting or not until one of my classmates, Presley Tepe, convinced me to attend a meeting.
After going to this first meeting I realized that PRSSA was the perfect fit for me. It gave me an outlet to make friends, it allowed me to become more involved, it made it clear to me that PR was the right track for me—I simply felt at home.
HZ: Why did you decide to run for President?
CY: Running for president was not an easy decision at all. As vice president for the past year I saw firsthand how demanding holding that office can be. Our former president Misti Jones had done an outstanding job so filling her shoes made me very anxious. I also work two jobs. My first job is here on campus with Marketing and Communications and I also work at Bandera Grill so balancing two jobs, a social life and school life plus the presidency worried me as well. For weeks I struggled with this decision until I realized that I could not imagine what my life would be like without PRSSA. Win or lose I wanted to try and take my involvement in this organization to the next level.
HZ: How did you feel upon winning the election?
CY: My opponent Courtney Nieto is a great member and gave a great speech full of great ideas for our chapter so I thought the results could go either way. When Misti and the other officers returned from counting the votes and announced that I was the new president I was in shock. A rush came over me and I was filled with joy and excitement. I instantly began writing a list of things that my officers and I should begin working on. Our members showed me their confidence in me so I am going to do everything in my power to exceed their expectations.
HZ: Was there a campaigning process? If so, what did you do to prepare for elections?
CY: Well you would think that since most of us are studying PR we would have had big elaborate campaigns but since I was already an officer I felt that my work in that position spoke for itself. So aside from the three minute speech that each candidate is required to give, I mostly just spoke to members on an individual basis to see what direction they would like to see PRSSA take in the future and where we as a chapter could improve.
HZ: Why do you feel you are qualified for this position?
CY: I spent the 2014-15 school year serving as the vice president of our chapter for what has been the biggest year in this chapter’s history. My responsibilities in this position were very similar to that of the president. I had the experience of conducting meetings like I will now that I am the president along with working to recruit new members bringing our chapter up to fifty members—its largest size in more than seven years. So there is that. Plus I am passionate about this organization and I know that I am a strong leader. With other great officers that were elected with me, I know that we can take PRSSA to new heights.
HZ: What do you plan to do in the coming year?
CY: Well that is a great question and I am glad you asked. Our new group of officers including myself want to build upon the success of our previous officers and find new ways to engage members whether it is through social media or other tools so that they can get the most out of their membership. We are looking into adopting a philanthropy. There are so many good causes here in Huntsville and Walker County that could use help and since nonprofit PR is of interest to many of our members, it will serve a dual purpose allowing us to give back while learning about the challenges of doing PR work for a nonprofit organization.
My best memory as a member so far was attending the PRSSA national conference in Washington D.C. this past October. So it is a must that we return and find ways to bring as many members as possible. These are a few of the plans that our new officers and myself have planned for the coming year.
HZ: What are your hopes for the future of PRSSA?
CY: I hope to see PRSSA grow in strength and size so that we as a chapter can provide more opportunities for our members. I want to see our chapter form lasting bonds with other chapters and PR professionals so that our members can have access to a large network of contacts that can help them learn more about PR and allow them to launch their careers after graduation.
HZ: How can students get involved with PRSSA?
CY: It’s easy. We accept all majors all classifications. If you want to learn more about PR and have fun doing it come to our meetings. Everyone is welcome. Since the date of our first fall meeting has yet to be determined, the best way to get involved is to go like our Facebook page called “PRSSA SHSU Chapter,” our Instagram at PRSSASHSU and our Twitter @PRSSASHSU. That is where we will be posting and engaging with members over the summer and when we determine when our first meeting of the semester will be, it will be posted there as well. For anyone that wants to get any other information about PRSSA, you can call me at 979-824-2208.
HZ: What are the benefits of being part of PRSSA?
CY: Being a member of PRSSA is a great opportunity. Becoming a due-paying member gives you full access to the PRSSA national website where students can write for the PRSSA national blog Progressions so that they can get their work published. There is also the job and internship data base that has intern and job opportunities in all fifty states and around the world. There is also a reduced cost to attend PRSA (PRSSA’s parent organization) events that can open doors with professionals already working in the industry.
These are just the benefits that the national organization offers. Here at Sam Houston State University our chapter is relatively small compared to chapters at other schools like University of North Texas and Texas State. Because of this our members have many more opportunities that members of some of these larger chapters might not have. We visit many PR agencies in the state, bring in guest speakers, conduct case studies and work on a wide variety of skillsets that will help our members become great PR professionals one day. Last by not least we have fun while forming bonds and friendships that will last long after graduation.
Hannah L. Zedaker 