Alison Gaulden is Opening the Doors to the Public Relations Industry with PRSSA Nevada
Reporter Chantaye Louis sits down with the faculty advisor for the Public Relations Student Society of America, Nevada (PRSSA Nevada), and learns how Alison Gaulden is changing the public relations industry through media workshops, mentorships, and professional development.
Photo provided by Alison Gaulden.
Alison Gaulden is the current faculty advisor for PRSSA Nevada. Her main role is to facilitate mentorships between students and career professionals, and support the students managing the club. For her work with PRSSA Nevada and other professional accomplishments, Gaulden was inducted as one of 13 newly elected members in the PRSA College of Fellows.
In this Q&A, Gaulden tells us how PRSSA teaches students networking skills alongside industry professionals guiding them into the journalism industry.
Gaulden: The Public Relations Society has a professional chapter and a student chapter, the PRSA and public relations student society. I am the faculty adviser. The program does three things for students: enhance their education, broaden their network, and launch their careers. They are paired with professionals in the industry both locally, regionally and across the country. Helping launch their careers with tips and tools to help students. The PRSSA has a board of directors with nine students managing the club. These students offer programming that is of value to the membership. You do not have to be a member to attend the programs.
Louis: What programs does your club offer to get students connected?
Gaulden: We are committed to talking about diverse voices in the public relations field. We have workshops with guest speakers talking about the misrepresentation of communities of color in media. A program we have planned is teaching students how to get out in the industry to bigger cities with alumni they can connect to in New York, San Antonio, Austin, and more. We have student alumni living in those places.
Louis: Since you are talking about mentors, what is the process to connect with mentors?
Gaulden: [With] membership, PRSSA has professionals that are willing to mentor students. One of our board assignments is to manage and match students with professionals in the industry. We find student interests, like someone like yourself, who has an interest in pursuing news, but [also] PR. We would try to find former news practitioners who are now doing public relations so that students can have the opportunity to connect with someone who knows the fields with the same goals as the student. If in the career of sports, news, and entertainment, we base that on who is an alumnus in the industry doing similar things as the student. … The student has access to someone who can guide them to the profession they want to pursue. Since the industry is not what you know but who you know, this is a wonderful; opportunity for students to network, and [participate in] workshops they want to do.
Louis: Since you mentioned a fee for students who might have financial issues, how can they become a member. What is the cost to join?
Gaulden: We do not want fees to be a barrier to participation. PRSSA is supported by the official chapter giving us funds for scholarships. We hope to fundraise once the peak of the pandemic goes down. The fees are $75. [Of that $75], $55 goes to the [national chapter], helping bring national speakers, and conferences for students to attend. Students can connect with me, and I will put them in contact with the treasurer. I am unsure how many scholarships we have left.
Louis: Is there anything else that I may have missed or that you would like to add?
Gaulden: … It is valuable to look at the future and be involved. We want students to participate in the professional organization as we start adhering to codes of ethics and do better in PR, in the industry, and making inclusive representation cognizant of issues of the day, climate change, and political discord… things that fracture us. Our industry has a lot of things to do with how we handle situations and issues.
Note: Some questions and answers were trimmed for clarity and conciseness.
Congratulations to Gaulden’s induction into the PRSA College Fellowship for her commitment to the community, being a role model/mentor, and her passion for advocating for the PR industry, and students.