PENN STATE PRSSA

FALL 2019

NEWSLETTER

This Edition: 

executive board spotlights / 2-3

Incoming VP Spotlight / 4
alumni spotlight / 5
professor Spotlight / 6
COMMITTEE RECAPS / 7-8
Chapter Achievements / 9

HTTPS://SITES.PSU.EDU
/PENNSTATEPRSSA
 EXECUTIVE BOARD

SPOTLIGHT

Kristina Hahn, Vice President

BY Nikki Romaglia
Kristina Hahn is a graduating senior receiving her B.A. in public relations, along with a digital media
trends and analytics minor, this December. She has been a member of Penn State’s PRSSA chapter
since August of 2016, the first semester of her college experience. She wanted to get a head start on
learning more about the field of public relations and join a community of like-minded people. “I am a
highly interactive person and I recharge off bouncing ideas off of people. I wanted to build my future in a
workplace where every day I get to interact with new people and experience new things,” Kristina said.

Some of Kristina’s biggest accomplishments while being a part of PRSSA include earning her first real
internship through involvement with the club and networking with alumni. She was able to land an
internship with G&S Business Communications in New York City this past summer. She also recognizes
being elected as the chapter’s Vice President, and the growth of the organization this year, as one of
her biggest accomplishments. “I am so proud of being a part of our 405% membership increase. We
went from 18 active members to 91,” said Kristina. Kristina knew that she wanted to take on a
leadership role after realizing just how important PRSSA was to her. She knew that in this role she
would be able to set an example for others and help bring new ideas to the table.

As Vice President, Kristina recently got to attend the PRSSA National Conference in San Diego, Ca.,
this past October. She had the opportunity to listen to public relations professionals from all around the
world and the different aspects that they thrive in within the industry. Her favorite speaker, Erika Prime,
the head of social and digital marketing strategy for Taco Bell, talked about the use of influencers to
help promote their menu items. “Seeing what these people have done and grown into really set the tone
with my looming graduation that I can do anything I set my mind to,” Kristina said.

Kristina credits PRSSA for not only helping her grow as a public relations student, but also as a
professional. She notes learning how to perfect her LinkedIn and networking with professionals as two
important skills she learned while being a part of PRSSA. “I came into college not really knowing what
public relations was,” she said. “PRSSA has built a safe environment that I have been able to learn and
grow from.”

Kristina is thankful for all that PRSSA has given her as she reflects on her Penn State career. Kristina
recently accepted an offer to work with Burson Cohn & Wolfe in Manhattan immediately following
graduation. “Everybody that you interact with is part of your network and a resource to turn to,” said
Kristina. “I am so thankful for my network that PRSSA and Penn State has helped me create.”

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 EXECUTIVE BOARD

SPOTLIGHT

Lauren McGonigle, Director of PR
by Tao Chen

Lauren McGonigle is a graduating senior accepting her B.A. in public relations. She will complete two
minors upon graduation in May 2020, in digital media trends and analytics and global and international
studies. During her leisure time, she loves to play tennis, snowboard, travel, and catch up with the latest
beauty and fitness trends. Lauren has been a member of PRSSA since her sophomore year and is
currently the Director of Public Relations of the Lawrence G. Foster Chapter.

As the Director of Public Relations, Lauren facilitates communication and acts as a liaison between
members and the executive board to ensure they are functioning as a strong organization. Some of her
main roles include website maintenance and updates, copy editing, social media creation and optimization.
In addition to this, she collaborates with other members of the executive board to ensure all duties of Penn
State PRSSA are promoted.

This semester, Lauren works as an Enrollment Marketing Intern for the Smeal College of Business'
Professional Graduate Programs, where she manages social media for eight graduate programs within the
college.

Lauren is now acquainted with working on social media for various organizations. As the Director of Public
Relations, Lauren hopes to continue to strengthen Penn State PRSSA's overall communication efforts,
both internally and externally during her last semester at Penn State. "My role allows me to express my
creativity and engage with other students at Penn State," Lauren said. She works hard to constantly grow
Penn State PRSSA's social media accounts with new content and ideas.

Lauren practices as a mentor in the chapter mentor/mentee program and is excited to share her
experiences with her mentee. Apart from helping her mentee, she also has created a valuable network
during this program. "PRSSA has introduced me to an entire network that I consider my mentors because
any time I reach out to a professional in the public relations field, they are always excited to see I am a
member of PRSSA. This organization has broadened my professional network immensely," Lauren said.

Becoming both a director and a mentor, Lauren is able to help other students learn and grow the way she
was able to in PRSSA. "PRSSA has taught me to be more organized, responsible, driven, and passionate
about everything I do in life. It has helped me to develop into the professional I am today," she said.

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 INCOMING VICE

PRESIDENT SPOTLIGHT

Emily Dessel, Spring 2020 Vice President

by megan lantz
Emily Dessel is a senior majoring in public relations and completing three minors upon her May 2020 graduation in
business, digital media trends and analytics, and global and international studies. Emily will conclude her senior year
by fulfilling the position of Vice President of PRSSA for the spring 2020 semester.

Emily has been involved in PRSSA since the freshman year of her collegiate career, where she served as an active
member of the Strategic Communications Committee. Emily continued her involvement in the Strategic
Communications Committee her sophomore year, then served as an active member of the Digital Media and Events
Committee throughout her junior year. Emily looks forward to continuing her involvement in the organization through
the Vice President position this upcoming semester.

“I always knew I wanted to eventually have a leadership position because of my passion for public relations,” Emily
said. After hearing about the opening of the Vice President role for the spring semester, Emily stated, “I immediately
contacted Corinne and applied for the position because I wanted the opportunity to join the executive board and give
back to an organization that has given me such a strong foundation in PR.”

Emily discussed her goals for the position and stated her excitement on helping members, chairs, and executive board
leaders reach their goals for the organization. “I’m looking forward to seeing the chapter recruit and retain more
members next semester,” Emily said. “We had such an incredible increase in membership and I hope to only see the
numbers grow!”

When it comes to on-campus involvement, Emily has had a handful of experiences that she believes have prepared
her very well for the Vice President position. Previously, Emily was the VP of Public Relations for her sorority, Kappa
Delta, and has also been a member of the Public Relations and Marketing team for VALLEY Magazine for three years
now. Emily has also had a multitude of internship opportunities, previously interning for Hawkins International Public
Relations and 1-800-FLOWERS.COM.

“My previous leadership experiences have prepared me for this role and taught me vital skills such as open-
communication, multi-tasking, and ultimately being an effective team player. I think valuable leadership is all about
collaboration and being a strong team member for others,” Emily said.

Throughout Emily’s prior PRSSA involvement as an active member, she emphasized how she’s always valued the
welcoming nature of the organization, where PR majors, or anyone interested in PR, can network and learn from one
another. She notes that her favorite aspect of PRSSA is the incredible guest speakers that members get to engage
with. “There is so much to learn from those who have been in our shoes before,” Emily said.

“I believe all of these experiences have shaped me into an effective leader that is passionate about public
relations. I am so excited to be the next Vice President and try my best to make everyone’s
PRSSA experience a meaningful one,” Emily said.

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Meet notable alumni of the Bellisario College of Communications

Carolyn Harpster, Media Operations Manager

at Brand Networks
by Maggie ward

Carolyn Harpster graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 2014 with a degree in public
relations, advertising and applied communication. She was an active member of Penn State’s
PRSSA chapter, serving as the Director of Public Relations her junior year and President during
her senior year. Additionally, Carolyn was the Marketing Director for the State of State
organization.

Carolyn is grateful for the opportunities PRSSA provided to her in college because she gained
useful leadership skills and learned at a young age how to exhibit professionalism. One of her
favorite aspects of PR is that it allows those trying to build a brand or business to craft their own
story, which she thinks is really important.

“In today’s world, information is flying at the speed of light,” Carolyn said. “News breaks fast, and
there’s a lot of misinformation, but PR allows you to craft your own story about yourself.”

Currently, Carolyn is a Media Operations Manager at Brand Networks, a unique company that
offers social media and programmatic display advertising, optimization, and insights. She
specifically oversees the execution of advertising campaigns on social platforms for clients like
L’Oréal. The job is heavily analytical and strategical, but she enjoys it for many reasons.

“I do oversee a few women here in the office, which is incredibly rewarding in setting other people
up for success,” Carolyn said.

Carolyn advises the current members of PRSSA to work hard now and take advantage of all
opportunities, no matter how small they may seem. She encourages young professionals to remain
focused and learn something from every experience available.

“My time at Penn State was split between working hard and having fun,” she said. “What I’m seeing
is if you’re going out and looking for a job, it’s important to work your ass off. Put your phone away;
listen and learn and take every opportunity as an important one.”

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PROFESSOR SPOTLIGHT

Professor Shaheen Pasha

by cameryn orlowski
Shaheen Pasha is an assistant teaching professor in the Donald P. Bellisario College of
Communications. This fall was her first semester working at Penn State. Pasha teaches COMM
409, Ethics of Journalism, along with Commentary and Opinion Writing. Next semester she will
be teaching Reporting Methods and will be focusing on launching a Special Topics Course on
Journalism and Mass Incarceration. Professor Pasha is excited about these new courses and
said, “I came to Penn State to build a Prison Journalism program, so I’m really looking forward
to building those classes.”

Pasha graduated from Pace University in 1999 with a degree in speech communications.
Shortly after she pursued a master’s degree at Columbia University's Graduate School of
Journalism in 2000. Pasha jumpstarted her career as a full-time reporter for Dow Jones
Newswires and eventually landed a full-time teaching position at the American University in
Cairo. She has also worked as a legal reporter for CNNMoney, a foreign correspondent
covering Islamic finance, and worked with Legal issues for Thomson Reuters in Dubai.
Thereafter, she became a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst before coming
to Penn State. “I love being a professor because I love journalism. Nothing makes me happier
than when students get that journalism drive in them and tell amazing stories about people and
situations that we may not know enough about. It’s incredibly rewarding to watch my students
succeed,” said Pasha. Pasha still works as a freelance journalist to this day and said, “As a
freelancer, I have more freedom in the things I get to write about so lots of my pieces deal with
women’s issues, religion, law and mass incarceration.”

Pasha described how she’s wanted to be a journalist since the age of five. “I used to stand in
front of the mirror with a hairbrush pretending to report from Moscow. It was something I always
wanted and I pursued it in high school and then in college. I was fortunate to go to a university
in New York City so I had lots of opportunities to work at internships. I interned at MTV News,
CNBC and Forbes Magazine. This has been my life for as long as I can remember and I
absolutely love it,” said Pasha.

Pasha’s hobbies include reading, dancing, traveling and spending time with her three children.
She writes fiction stories, non-fiction memoirs and essays in her spare time. She expressed
how she loves working with incarcerated people to educate them. “What I’m really passionate
about is working with incarcerated people to teach them journalism and writing skills,” Pasha
said. “I work with some men and women behind bars on their writing through letters and email
and I find that so rewarding.”

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PRSSA COMMITTEE RECAPS
Highlighting the work that PRSSA's three committees have accomplished
throughout the semester

Digital Media and Events Committee

by Molly Hynes and Nikole Pirreia
This semester, Cat Simms and Megan Lantz led the Digital Media and Events Committee. Simms is a senior
majoring in public relations and minoring in digital media trends and analytics and international studies with a
certificate in event planning. Lantz is also a senior majoring in public relations and minoring in digital media trends
and analytics. Both Simms and Lantz have been involved in PRSSA since their sophomore years. Cat’s favorite
things about PRSSA are all of the opportunities it gives students from different leadership positions, to
knowledgeable speakers, to private access to jobs. Megan’s favorite things about PRSSA are how much it has
taught her about the public relations field along with being able to actively collaborate with peers that possess similar
interests.

This committee gives juniors and seniors the chance to expand their knowledge and challenge themselves by
participating in multiple activities. Throughout the semester, Simms and Lantz led their committee through interactive
workshops where members learned all aspects of digital media and event planning.

From hosting resume workshops and digital public relations portfolio workshops, to learning how to write a cover
letter, Lantz helped members enhance their work profile. Simms led members through event planning strategies and
helped them in creating mock events. Committee members not only learned what goes into planning an event, but
had hands-on experience by creating mock fliers for university activities and planning a week-long wellness event.

“It’s been an honor for me to hold a chair position and share the knowledge I’ve gained through my years at Penn
State, along with my internship experiences, with my committee members through this position,” Lantz said.

Strategic Planning Committee

by jarod kutz
Under the direction of Anna Bartley and Natalie DeSouza, the Strategic Planning Committee made impressive strides
throughout the entirety of the fall semester. Comprised of underclassmen, the committee ventured through and learned
about the basic fundamentals of public relations and all of the different fields. In addition, they had the chance to learn
how to enhance their resumes and cover letters along with how to use LinkedIn effectively for their professional
careers.

Not only have the students grown professionally, they also conducted two successful fundraisers that benefited the
organization, the first being at Yallah Burrito and the second being a headshot fundraiser. Members also had many
opportunities to work with and learn about different creative platforms.

Anna and Natalie are extremely pleased with how much the committee grew from the beginning of the semester to the
end. "This semester, we have seen our committee members become more ambitious and prepared for the next steps
in their PR careers," Anna said. "We are looking forward to all that they will accomplish next semester."

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 PRSSA COMMITTEE RECAPS
Highlighting the work that PRSSA's three committees have accomplished
throughout the semester

THON Committee
BY Yunjing Zhang
PRSSA is one of the only communications-based organizations with a THON committee. It allows
communications students to be more involved with THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world
with a goal of fighting pediatric cancer. This semester, PRSSA’s THON Committee raised
approximately $940.

Ellie Stewart, Primary THON Chair, is a sophomore majoring in public relations. She joined PRSSA in the fall
of 2018 because of the great opportunities PRSSA has for networking at Penn State and in the real world, as
well as the awesome community. Ellie’s stellar involvement in THON made her the perfect candidate for
Primary THON Chair. Working alongside Ellie to run a successful committee is Kristi Chan, Alternate
Fundraising Chair, Jacob Hord, Co-Family Relations Chair, and Emma Creamer, Co-Family Relations Chair.

“For me, THON is all about taking a step back and realizing that there is something we as college students
can do that will impact a child’s life,” Ellie said. “When I was in sixth grade I lost a friend to pediatric cancer. I
remember feeling so helpless. THON gives me the opportunity to work towards finding a cure.”

Since the beginning of this semester, PRSSA's THON Committee has been fundraising to raise money for
THON. The committee organized fundraisers at restaurants in the State College area, utilized THONvelopes,
and participated in the THON 5K. The most successful fundraiser of the semester was in partnership with
Frutta Bowls. The success was due to the organization-wide engagement and support from all chapter
members.

In recent years, the THON committee has been known for being one of the smaller PRSSA committees, but
they continue to initiate membership growth by expanding their presence around campus as a public
relations pre-professional organization, and by staying engaged with the PRSSA THON family, The
Whiteheads. As for spring 2020, the committee plans on organizing more fundraisers, increasing social
media engagement, and pushing for online donations. “Next semester we are looking to host more
fundraisers that our entire organization can be a part of,” Ellie said. “Also, with THON being next semester
we are looking to increase engagement and excitement about this awesome event!”

Emily Whitehead, PRSSA's THON child, was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia when she was six
years old. When chemotherapy treatments were not working, doctors took a risk and tried out a new special
T-cell therapy. Emily is the first person in the world to undergo this successful treatment. Whether someone
is a general member or student leader, Emily's incredible story inspires everyone in PRSSA's THON
committee to continue involvement with the organization in hopes of finding a cure.

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CHAPTER ACHIEVEMENTS
Highlighting the accomplishments of the Penn State PRSSA chapter

Increase in membership
Throughout the duration of the fall 2019 semester, the Penn State PRSSA Chapter
has been focused on increasing and retaining Chapter membership. The Penn State
PRSSA Chapter is thrilled to announce that this semester, the Chapter increased
membership by 405%!

With the creation of a new executive board position by Chapter President Corinne
Findlay and Vice President Kristina Hahn, entitled Director of Recruitment, the
Chapter achieved great success by implementing new recruitment strategies and
tactics. Thanks to the efforts of Annalise Gutenberger, Director of Recruitment, along
with Lauren McGonigle, Director of PR, the Penn State PRSSA Chapter was able to
go above and beyond in recruitment efforts and increasing brand awareness on
campus.

pacesetter award
The Penn State PRSSA Chapter received Pacesetter Chapter Recognition by the
PRSSA National Committee for the month of November 2019 to recognize the
Chapter's increase in membership and member involvement. The Pacesetter Award
is designed to specifically highlight a Chapter's success in membership, national
participation, and/or Chapter development.

Star Chapter Award and Aspire Higher

The Lawrence G. Foster Chapter of PRSSA was honored to receive the Star Chapter
Award for 2019, based off of a successful 2018-2019 year for the organization.

The Star Chapter Award allowed Penn State PRSSA to be selected as one of five
chapters across the country for The Aspire Higher: Future Fellows Mentoring
Program. This program allows Penn State PRSSA members to be paired with
mentors from the prestigious PRSA College of Fellows to discuss future career plans,
goals and aspirations.

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A SPECIAL THANKS TO:

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Megan Lantz

FEATURED WRITERS
Nikki romaglia
tao chen
Megan Lantz
Maggie Ward
Yunjing Zhang
Jarod Kutz
molly hynes
Nikole Pirreia
cameryn orlowski

FEATURED IN THIS EDITION

Kristina hahn
lauren mcgonigle
Emily Dessel
carolyn harpster
Professor Shaheen Pasha
Anna Bartley
Natalie Desouza
Megan Lantz
Cat Simms
Ellie Stewart
Corinne Findlay
Annalise Gutenberger