From the President's Desk: Congratulations to Graduating College Seniors and a Warm Welcome to Rising Professionals
June is a month of many recognitions and celebrations, including Pride Month, Juneteenth, Father’s Day and Men’s Health Month, to name a few. One of the celebrations that I had the opportunity to participate in this month was the Public Relations and Advertising (PRAD) program’s second annual PRADuation ceremony at DePaul University.
Faculty, students and professional allies, including several PRSA Chicago board members, gathered to help celebrate the graduating PRAD seniors—all members of the DePaul Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter—set to the backdrop of the Chicago skyline.
The graduating students shared their favorite memories. Their faculty advisor, Juliet Stantz, handed out graduation cords. And the outgoing and incoming chapter presidents, Sarah Thaman and Sadie Guffy, respectively, recognized the chapter’s two greatest supporters: David Grossman and Public Communications Inc. (PCI). It was a beautiful evening that commemorated the hard work these students put forth to get to the graduation finish line before warming up for their career marathon.
It was an absolute honor to have been invited to participate in this celebration. It is on this note that, on behalf of PRSA Chicago, we also congratulate this year’s cohort of graduating seniors and recognize their accomplishments, especially those from the PRSSA chapters that PRSA Chicago sponsors: Columbia College of Chicago; DePaul University; Indiana University Northwest; Loyola University of Chicago; Northern Illinois University; Olivet Nazarene University; and Valparaiso University.
For those interested in newly pursuing their careers in the Chicago area, we extend a warm welcome to you—the incoming, rising professionals—who are about to join us in the public relations and communications workforce.
As you finish one chapter (e.g., graduating from PRSSA, changing careers, rejoining the workforce) and start the next, we hope you find collegiality and camaraderie throughout your career with PRSA and PRSA Chicago serving as your professional home. We hope you continue to invest in yourself with us through continued professional development/educational sessions and networking opportunities that welcome you.
For the faculty advisors and professional allies who have contributed to the future trajectories of these rising professionals, and/or provided counsel to stakeholders to support progress and recognition for different populations, we look forward to collaborating with you to better ensure there is a professional resource available to continue to support your great work.
Yours in service,
Kayee Ip
2024 Chapter President
PRSA Chicago
Kayee welcomes communication from PRSA Chicago members. Write to her at [email protected].
