Fourth-year undergraduate student  Mackenzie Smith was elected as vice president of member services for the Public Relations Student Society of America’s International Committee for the 2026-27 academic year. Smith served as president of the PRSSA chapter at Ohio State for the 2025-26 year.

Smith, a business administration major specializing in marketing with a strategic communication minor, was elected during the organization’s Leadership Assembly in New Orleans in April after months of preparing for the campaign and connecting with former committee members. 

“I was thrilled to be elected for the PRSSA International Committee,” Smith said. “After putting so much time and effort into the process, it was incredibly rewarding to see that work pay off.”

As vice president of member services, Smith supports PRSSA members and chapter leaders by connecting them with resources available through the international organization. She said she pursued the role to continue growing as a leader while helping other students benefit from PRSSA. 

Smith said her experience as president of the  PRSSA chapter at Ohio State prepared her for the position by strengthening her networking and public speaking skills. Those skills became especially important at the Leadership Assembly, where she spoke in front of hundreds of members and participated in a live question-and-answer session. 

In her new role, Smith hopes to make PRSSA’s international resources more accessible to students and chapter leaders.

“I want to bridge this gap and become someone that students and Chapter leaders feel comfortable reaching out to when they have questions, need support or simply want to get more involved in PRSSA,” Smith said.

Her advice to other students considering leadership opportunities is simple: “Do it scared.”

“Even if you are scared, do it anyway,” Smith said. “This is how you grow and discover what you are truly capable of.” 

Click here to learn more about PRSSA at Ohio State and PRSSA International.