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NEW in 2024: As NSPRA introduces the Emerging Leaders Award, the association is sunsetting the 35 Under 35 recognition while still reflecting the best aspects of the honor in a new, more expansive and inclusive award. These changes were inspired by member insights gathered by the NSPRA Awards Task Force.
Multimedia Specialist Community Engagement Roosevelt School District Phoenix, Ariz.
The most challenging part about working in school PR is how different the world of public relations is from the world of teaching and learning. It takes constant effective communication to bring staff into a marketing mindset. We have to build trust with stakeholders to overcome a lack of understanding that creates “bad” PR habits. This includes education on things like news cycles, production timelines, social media calendars and all the other aspects we encounter on a daily basis. This is essential to provide staff, students, families and the community with quality, accurate information in a timely manner.
My most fulfilling professional experience thus far has been attending my first NSPRA National Seminar in Chicago in 2022. It was the first time I had been able to attend a national conference with my peers and it was so enriching to hear how they overcome a lot of similar challenges in their districts, regardless of the state - or country - they were from. I left that seminar feeling inspired and ready to implement new strategies for the upcoming school year. I felt that I was able to grow by leaps and bounds professionally from being in peer-led breakout sessions, networking during lunch and events and collaborating with the vendors. It was the perfect follow up to our Arizona SPRA conference earlier in the summer. I look forward to continuing to attend national seminars and developing my skillset as a school communications professional.