PRSA Foundation

07/22/2026

Congratulations to the 2026 PRSA Foundation scholarship and grant recipients!

Altschul Champions for PRSSA Outstanding Internship Award: Cadence Cardona, Colorado State University
Axia Public Relations Scholarship: Melanie Herrera, Florida International University
Betsy Plank/PRSSA Scholarships: Steven Trettel, Waynesburg University; Adah Shippen, Brigham Young University; Melanie Robichaux, University of Southern California
Chester Burger Scholarship for Excellence in Public Relations: Oghenetega Ologbo, Michigan State University
Geoffrey M. Curtis Scholarship: Tatiana Allen, Howard University; Milynda Armstrong-Stewart, George Washington University; Kaylee Unruh, Eastern Illinois University
Horace and Susie Revels Cayton Scholarship: Anayi Vaca Gutierrez, Gonzaga University
May C. Randazzo Scholarship: August Edwards, SUNY Buffalo State University
Ofield Dukes Multicultural Student Award: Lizzy Nyoike, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
PRSA Diversity Multicultural Scholarships: Camila Garcia Chirino, University of Florida; Madeline Wines, Boston University
PRSA Houston Scholarships: Tindall May, Berry College; Kena Rabe, Texas State University; Gavin Gonzalez, University of Houston; Emily Read, Sam Houston State University; Tabbitha Ross, University of Houston-Downtown; Araine McWhinney, MS, CCC-SLP, Sam Houston State University
PRSA Memphis Scholarship: Madison Bright, University of Memphis
PRSA Silicon Valley Diversity & Multicultural Scholarship; Diana Elsie Suvorova, UC Berkeley; Natalie Szumlas, UC Berkeley; Emilio Valdez, UC Berkeley; Preston Wright, Grand Canyon University
Robin M. Urbanski Memorial Scholarship: Sydney Valdivia, University of South Florida
Ron Culp Scholarship for Mentorship: Josephine Cioffero, University of Florida
Sally Heet Memorial Scholarship: Jazell Jenkins, University of Washington

View the full list of scholarship, fellowship and grant recipients here: https://www.prsafoundation.org/scholarship-honorees-2026/

06/23/2026

The PRSA Foundation is honoring two distinguished leaders whose careers have made a lasting impact on public relations and the profession with the 2026 Paladin Award: Damon D. Jones, Chief Communications Officer of Procter & Gamble (P&G), and Mickey G. Nall, APR, Fellow PRSA, former PRSA Chair and CEO and longtime educator and mentor.

The Paladin Award recognizes communications leaders who have made a significant and measurable impact on advancing diversity, inclusion and belonging within the profession.

As chief communications officer, Jones leads P&G's global communications function, overseeing brand and corporate communications, stakeholder engagement, advocacy and reputation management for one of the world's largest consumer goods companies. During his nearly 30-year career with P&G, he has held leadership roles across North America, Europe and Asia, earning recognition for purpose-driven campaigns and communications excellence, including multiple Silver Anvil, Cannes Lions and Primetime Commercial Emmy honors. Beyond his corporate leadership, Jones is widely respected for his commitment to community engagement and service.

A former PRSA chair, Nall has dedicated more than four decades to advancing the profession as an agency executive, educator, mentor and volunteer leader. Following a distinguished communications career that included leadership roles at Ogilvy & Mather, he served as Professional in Residence at the University of Florida, where he taught public relations and advised the award-winning PRSSA Alpha Chapter. A recipient of the PRSA Gold Anvil Award and the Educators Academy David Ferguson Award, Nall has helped shape generations of communications professionals through his commitment to Accreditation, ethics and education.

The awards will be presented during a special PRSA Foundation celebration held in conjunction with PRSA ICON 2026.

05/01/2026

The deadline to apply to PRSA Foundation scholarships has been extended! You now have until Friday, May 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT to apply for more than $50,000 in scholarships and grants, including some exclusive to Public Relations Student Society of America - PRSSA members. Some PRSA Chapter scholarships may have different deadlines. Learn more and apply at https://prsa.awardspring.com/Home/Scholarships.

04/22/2026

Today, the PRSA Foundation announced the 2026 class of the Foster the Future fellowship program. Foster the Future is a collaborative initiative between Mission North, communications agency partners, and the PRSA Foundation to mobilize the public relations and communications industry for transformative change.

Launched in 2022, the Foster the Future program is expanding its impact with the support of 12 leading PR and communications agencies, including six new partners this year. In addition to a paid internship at each participating agency, a total of $102,000 in scholarships and stipends will be awarded to fellowship recipients through the PRSA Foundation, establishing a new record and exceeding last year’s award value by more than $9,000. To date, $356,500 has been awarded to 32 students.

This year’s fellowship recipients are:
• AGEAN Public Relations Fellowship: Desiree Lawrence, Rutgers University
• EvolveMKD Fellowship: Sophia Jreij, New York University
• Greenough Communications Fellowship: Audrey Lee, Boston University
• Hannah Cranston Media Fellowship: Aliza Nanku, William Paterson University and Uma Surampudi, New York University
• Hirsch Leatherwood Fellowship: Sofia Gonzalez Bernier, Boston University
• Kite Hill Fellowship: Olivia Merced, University of Delaware
• LaunchSquad Fellowship: Laura Leonel, Stockton University
• Mission North Fellowship: Alexia Soriano, University of Florida
• Scout Lab Fellowship: Grace Velazquez, Montclair State University
• SolComms Fellowship: Emma Alexander, Cornell University
• The Key PR Fellowship: Teairra Brown, San Jose State University
• V2 Communications Fellowship: Ariel Lee, New York University

The fellowship recipients will complete a five-to-13-week paid internship this summer, using a curriculum developed by Mission North in 2022. Fellowship recipients will also receive professional development training from Muck Rack, Strong Professional, and Brian Simon Associates to accelerate their careers.

“Congratulations to this year’s Foster the Future fellows,” said Natan Edelsburg, president of the PRSA Foundation’s Board of Trustees. “Programs like this are critical to opening doors and creating real pathways into the industry. It’s especially exciting to see the program continue to grow, with more agency partners and greater investment in these students’ futures."

The fellowship recipients will be recognized with other PRSA Foundation scholarship and grant recipients at the PRSSA awards ceremony at ICON 2026 in Orlando, Fla.

04/06/2026

New 2026 Fellowship Opportunity!

We're excited to introduce the MikeWorldWide Fellowship in parnership with MikeWorldWide! This fellowship will award one student with a $2,500 scholarship and a paid ten-week full time internship with MikeWorldWide in Los Angeles, CA or New York, NY this summer..

Rising seniors and graduating seniors who are pursuing a major in public relations, communications, journalism, marketing, or related fields and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher are encouraged to apply.

Applications are due April 14, 2026.

Learn more & apply at: https://www.prsafoundation.org/scholarships-awards/mikeworldwide-fellowship

02/11/2026

The second annual FINN-PRSA Foundation Networking Mixer was held at the New York headquarters of FINN Partners in late January. The event was co-hosted by FINN’s Global Chief Diversity Officer Helen C. Shelton, MS, PRSA Foundation Trustee and Muck Rack’s Chief Partnership Officer, Natan Edelsburg, 2026 PRSA Foundation Board President.

Students and faculty from The City College of New York, Hofstra University, Montclair State University, New York University, Seton Hall University, St. John's University, and William Paterson University of New Jersey met with professionals from FINN Partners, Hannah Cranston Media (HCM), Mission North, Muck Rack, Relations Society of America (PRSA), and the PRSA Foundation to learn about internship, fellowship, and grant opportunities and entering the public relations profession. FINN Partners also introduced the 2026 Excellence Award at The City College of New York winner, Shefa Giash.

“We are delighted to further our collaborative partnership with the PRSA Foundation, PRSA and PRSSA,” says Helen Shelton. “Education is a major pillar of FINN’s inclusion and impact work. And, together with the PRSA Foundation, we are committed to fostering the next generation of industry leaders.”
Following a successful launch in 2025, this year’s mixer continued to bridge classroom learning and career opportunities while encouraging meaningful connections for the students.

“Creating real access to the industry is at the heart of the PRSA Foundation’s mission,” adds Natan Edelsburg. “By bringing students face to face with agency leaders and hiring managers, this mixer helps turn classroom learning into real career momentum. We are proud to continue this partnership with FINN Partners and to support students as they build the relationships that will shape their futures in communications.”

Senior PRSA staff, including Susan Belanich, Amber Shaverdi Huston, CAE, and Jeneen Garcia were on hand to facilitate the event, along with FINN’s Elizabeth Ferreira and Dawn Frederick, as well as Education practice executives Patricia Stapor and Alyx Bowles.

01/15/2026

Applications to the 2026 Foster the Future Fellowships are now open!

Foster the Future is a collaborative initiative between Mission North, communications agency partners, and the PRSA Foundation to mobilize our industry for transformative change. Together, we're providing opportunities for the next generation of PR leaders, and this year is our biggest year yet.

In 2026, we're awarding $99,000 across twelve fellowships for public relations and communications students, each with some combination of scholarships, stipends, and paid summer internships.

The 2026 awards include:

Agean Public Relations Fellowship: $2,500 scholarship, 5-week remote internship.

EvolveMKD Fellowship: $5,000 scholarship, 12-week internship in New York, NY.

Greenough Communications Fellowship: $3,500 scholarship, 8-week internship in Boston, MA.

Hannah Cranston Media (HCM) Fellowship: $3,000 scholarship, 12-week internship in New York, NY.

Hirsch Leatherwood Fellowship: $2,500 scholarship, 8-week internship in New York, NY.

The Key PR Fellowship: $10,000 scholarship, $4,000 stipend, 8-week internship in San Francisco, CA.

Kite Hill Fellowship: $1,500 scholarship, 3-month internship in New York, NY.

LaunchSquad Fellowship: $15,000 scholarship, $4,000 stipend, 8-week remote internship.

Mission North Fellowship: $32,000 scholarship, $6,000 stipend, 12-week internship in New York, NY or San Francisco, CA.

Scout Lab Fellowship: $2,500 scholarship, 3-month remote internship.

SolComms Fellowship: $5,000 scholarship, 13-week internship in New York, NY.

V2 Communications Fellowship: $2,500 scholarship, 8-week internship in Boston, MA.

Fellowship recipients will also receive professional development training from Muck Rack, Strong Professional, and Brian Simon Associates to accelerate their careers.

Applications are open until February 17, 2026. Learn more and apply:

Foster the Future is a collaborative initiative between Mission North, communications agency partners, and the PRSA Foundation to mobilize our industry for transformative change. In 2026, the PRSA Foundation will award 12 fellowships, totalling $99,000 in awards and paid internship opportunities wit...