PRSSA Meeting

Ohio Northern University’s PRSSA chapter holds a meeting every Thursday. PRSSA

stands for Public Relations Student Society of America and the group exists to help

prepare students for a future career in public relations.

I will admit, at first last week I was not very excited to go to PRSSA. I was busy all

day and it was just another check off of my list of to-dos.

This past week there was a guest speaker at the meeting, which is always the best

part of PRSSA, so my mood shifted once I arrived. I love to listen to professionals

speak about their experiences and jobs because it gives me some insight on my

future career. It gets me brainstorming about what kind of brands and industries

I would like to work at some day.

The guest speaker last week was Siera Bruggeman, Digital Media Manager at

AR Marketing in Findlay. She told us about her college career and how she changed

majors, career focus, and universities multiple times. Hearing a now-successful

professional tell her story of how she was once an unsure college student helped

me. I have heard over again that it is okay to not know where you are going. I cannot

help but to question if I am in the right major, if I am taking the right classes, if what I

am doing now is enough to prepare me for a real job and a career. I think every

college student relates to that uncertainty at some point or another.

Siera shared that she wanted to continue her passions in her adult life. Today she

loves her job and has several side hustles. I completely relate to wanting to continue

my passions in my adult life. In a few years after graduation, I may not pursue my

passions in the exact same way as I am now. My passions should not be lost, but

rather expanded upon and explored. I want to find a job in which its mission and

goals align with my morals and passions.

Siera’s story was truthful and that is why it hit home for me. She was unafraid to discuss

her failures and I admire Siera for sharing her story in an honest way. Siera, if this ever

finds you, thank you for making a positive impact on my mindset.

The moral of the story is, go to your PRSSA meetings. There is bound to be another

time when a meeting or class rolls around and you are not excited to attend. When

you are weighing your options, to go or not to go, think about the potential information

you may miss. Any information is good information because it will help shape your

viewpoint and attitude. It is almost always worthwhile to show up. This time I gained

reassurance and a renewed hope for my future career. What have you gained this week?