PRSA Multicultural Affairs Scholarship Program

2008 application form: PDF | Word

Deadline: Friday, April 18, 2008

TO: Multicultural Affairs Scholarship Applicant

FROM: Dora Tovar, Chair, PRSA Multicultural Communications Section Kenneth Seeney, Chair, NMAC Scholarship Subcommittee

SUBJECT: PRSA 2008 Multicultural Affairs Scholarshi

On behalf of the PRSA Multicultural Communications Section, we invite you to apply for the PRSA 2008 Multicultural Affairs Scholarship.

This scholarship program was established in 1989 by PRSA's Multicultural Affairs Committee, to assist and recognize young men and women for outstanding academic achievement and commitment to the practice of public relations. Today, PRSA's National Multicultural Communications Section is the program sponsor and encourages contributions from PRSA members, corporations, and public relations agencies for an endowment. The scholarship program is administered by the PRSA Foundation.

Enclosed is an application and information describing the program, which is open to communications students who are of African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Native American, Alaskan Native, or Pacific Islander ancestry. Please see the attachment for additional eligibility requirements.

Two scholarships in the amount of $1,500 each will be awarded, and the scholarship recipients will be announced next spring. The scholarship recipients are strongly encouraged to attend and participate in the activities at the PRSA and PRSSA National Conferences scheduled for October 2008 in Detroit.

Please take time to apply for this scholarship or to share the materials with talented multicultural students at your school. Completed applications must be received at PRSA Headquarters by Friday, April 18, 2008.

We look forward to your participation. Good luck.

PRSA 2008 MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Be registered as a full-time undergraduate student at an accredited four-year college or university;

2. Have attained at least junior status by the time the scholarship will be used (Summer or Fall 2008) and have at least one full term remaining by the time the scholarship will be awarded (Summer 2008);

3. Earned and maintained a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 point scale in all courses. If you are not on a 4.0 grading scale, please explain and document;

4. Membership in the Public Relations Student Society of America is preferred, but is not a requirement. A major or minor in public relations is also preferred. A student who attends a school that does not offer a public relations degree or program must be enrolled in a communications degree program (e.g., journalism or mass communications);

5. Previous award winners are not eligible.

REQUIREMENTS

To apply for the scholarship, eligible candidates must follow these guidelines:

1. Complete and sign the official application form.

2. Submit an official transcript of courses completed.

3. Submit a brief letter of recommendation from a PRSA member or an individual associated with public relations (corporate, agency, government, non-profit) or higher education (college or university).

4. Please submit a typed, double-spaced essay, of no more than three pages, on the following question:

   You are a person of color and vice president of public relations for a Fortune 500 company based in a large Midwest city, which happens to be the home of the world champions of baseball. The company produces Verigood, the nation’s No. #2 selling beer. In an attempt to boost sales, your company has produced a Superbowl TV ad depicting a young man and woman in a romantic embrace with cans of Verigood beer on a nearby table. Upstairs, the young woman’s mother is working on a project for her home-based business. The father is paying bills on the computer and drinking a bottle of Cool Whipp, a wine cooler produced by your company.

   Sales records show that Verigood is the No. #1 selling beer in America’s Black and Hispanic neighborhoods where Asian Americans own and operate 80 percent of the liquor stores. Statistics released by the federal government show that beer and alcoholic beverages lead to a “high percentage” of car wrecks and fatal car crashes, domestic violence incidents, teenage pregnancies and other serious crimes such as rape, assault and battery and burglaries.

   Three days ago, a young Hispanic male (a high school dropout) is arrested for attempting to rob the riverfront casino, which is owned by Native American businessmen. After a short chase by police, the young man is slammed to the ground in front of a TV news crew and a black detective finds four opened cans of Verigood beer in the young man’s car. The casino is located one mile from the downtown office of your corporate headquarters.

   As vice president of public relations, what issues will you address first and what opportunities do you see for enhancing the image of the company and “improving” the community where the company is headquartered?

5. Statement of Financial Status. This section of the application form requests information regarding your personal need for financial assistance. In your statement, please justify your need and please be as specific as you can in the limited space provided.

6. While it is not mandatory, the scholarship recipient is strongly encouraged to attend the PRSSA and PRSA National Conferences to promote the scholarship program, meet PRSA officials, and network with members of the Multicultural Communications Section.

DEADLINE

Deadline for submission of the completed application and supporting materials is Friday, April 18, 2008.

JUDGING

Submissions will be evaluated and final selection determined by July 2008.

Please send completed application, transcript, essay, statement of financial status and letter of recommendation by Friday, April 18, 2008 to:

Multicultural Affairs Scholarship Program
Public Relations Student Society of America
33 Maiden Lane, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10038

PREVIOUS PRSA MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

2007
Denise Kreft, Fashion Institute of Technology, SUNY
Teresa Asevedo, Central Michigan University

2006
Dzifa Job, Syracuse University
Christina Ibarra, Otterbein College

2005
Kimberly Bryant, University of Nebraska
Jessica Dunn, Quinnipiac University

2004
Tiffany Daniels, Iowa State University
Angelique Myers, Univ. of Mary Hardin-Baylor

2003
William Amos, Jr., Murray State
LaShonda Louallen, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville

2002
Christina Hawley, Fashion Institute of Technology
LaTrina Parker, University of Nebraska, Omaha

2001
Mira McManus, Southeast Missouri State Univ.
Teri Medina, University of South Florida

2000
Stephanie Grantham, Univ. of North Carolina/Charlotte
Ebony Madison, Ursuline College

1999
Melinda Rachelle Brown, Pennsylvania State University
Heather Briana Willis, University of Georgia

1998
Erica Merritt, Ursuline College
Crystal Prater, Bowie State University

1997
Rachel Renee Roberts, Southwest Texas State University
Melissa Dawn Johnson, Otterbein College

1996
Mitsy D. Lopez, Cornell University
Damon Isiah Turner, Clark Atlanta University

1995
Toby Jenkins, University of South Carolina
Alexis King, West Virginia University

1994
Sergio Mankita, University of California, Los Angeles
Gina Stikes, Kent State University

1993
Helen Chen, University of Southern California
Tonya A. McCreary, Ithaca College

1992
Marchell Gillis, Georgia Southern University
Margaret Mei Huang, University of Southern California

1991
Tiffani Lee, University of Florida
Elizabeth DeVarona-Welch, University of Texas

1990
Rekha Rao, Drake University
James Williamson, Howard University

If you have any questions about applying for this award, please contact the PRSSA Vice President of Member Services.

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