Stephen D. Pisinski Memorial Scholarship

Deadline: June 7, 2013

Award: $1,500

The check will be payable to the recipient’s university for the recipient’s use, and can only be used to fund educational pursuits.

Eligibility

To apply, you must meet the following requirements:

Be a journalism, communications or public relations major.
Be in your junior or senior year of college.
Have at least a 3.3 overall grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
Be a PRSSA member.

Application

You need to submit the following materials to apply for this award:

A completed application form (Word or PDF).
A résumé including academic honors, special projects, activities and work experience.
An official transcript.
An essay of 1,000 words or fewer stating your career goals.
Two writing samples (in addition to the essay).
Two letters of academic or professional recommendation. The writer should send the letter directly to PRSSA Headquarters.

Make sure all materials are error free and thoroughly proofread. All application materials must be received at PRSSA Headquarters (not just postmarked) by June 7, 2013. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

PRSSA — Stephen D. Pisinski Memorial Scholarship
33 Maiden Lane, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10038

About Stephen D. Pisinski

The Stephen D. Pisinski Memorial Scholarship was established in 2002. The scholarship was developed by Allison & Partners in memory of Steve Pisinski, APR, Fellow PRSA, and founder of The Montgomery Group.

A 25-year public relations agency veteran, Stephen D. Pisinski began his public relations career in 1971 at Ketchum in Pittsburgh, later transferring to Ketchum San Francisco. Pisinski remained at the San Francisco office for six years, becoming vice president and associate director. In 1981, he opened and directed the San Francisco office of Burson-Marsteller and later moved to work in Burson’s New York office.

In 1984 Pisinski opened his own agency, SDP Communications, in San Francisco. SDP Communications was later acquired by Ogilvy & Mather Public Relations in 1985. As part of the merger, Pisinski served as general manager of Ogilvy's San Francisco office from 1985 to 1991. In 1992, he formed The Montgomery Group.

Pisinski served on PRSA’s Board of Directors for several years and as president in 2000. As President, he lead the organization through many advances in the industry. He developed new leadership opportunities for PRSA and encouraged PRSSA members to reach their potential by pursuing leadership roles within the organization. Pisinski created and executed campaigns pro bono for San Francisco School Volunteers, Swords to Plowshares, and the Association for Retarded Citizens.

He held a bachelor's degree in history from Georgetown University and a master's in public relations from Boston University. Steve felt that the key to success in life was to communicate well. His passion for communications lead him to start the competing student newspaper, The Voice, at Georgetown University. The newspaper continues to live up to its name as the leading “voice” of students attending Georgetown University.