The Public Relations Student Society of America chapter at Ohio State took 26 students to New York City this spring to visit corporations, agencies and media properties and network with alumni and industry professionals. Nearly 50 students made valuable connections and got an inside look at careers in communication.

In February, PRSSA students and faculty advisor Mary Sterenberg traveled to the city for their annual spring networking trip. This trip allowed students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, to gain insight into public relations beyond the classroom and make career connections. 

Students visited a variety of PR agencies, including Burson, Quinn PR, and M Booth, as well as Spotify, NBCUniversal, IBM, Dell and Google. 

The trip was planned by undergraduate students Maddy Scavnicky, Madison Medlen, Megan Graham, Andrew Lindner and Mackenzie Smith. 

“This was my second time attending the annual PRSSA trip to New York City, and this year I had the opportunity to lead the planning subcommittee because of my strong interest in working in the city after graduation," said Maddy Scavnicky, chair of the NYC trip planning committee. “As a graduating senior, planning the trip allowed me to make connections I wouldn’t have otherwise, since I was responsible for much of the outreach to companies and professionals for tours and coffee chats.”

Between tours, students attended coffee chats with industry professionals who worked for a wide range of companies such as Calvin Klein, Village Marketing, LinkedIn, Marina Maher Communications, and more. 

“I was even interviewing for a post-grad internship at one of the companies we toured, and being in contact with them to coordinate the visit before their applications opened helped me stand out in the interview process. This trip has truly reshaped my professional identity and helped me advance my career in PR,” said Scavnicky.

The chapter also hosted a mixer for local alumni to network and connect with current students on the trip.

This trip and other student opportunities are made possible in part by the generous donations of alumni. For those interested in making a donation for future opportunities, visit the School of Communication giving page.