The University of South Carolina chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America will host the organization’s 2022 Southeast District Conference: Eyes on the Prize Feb. 25-26 at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Attendees will learn from the real-life experiences of professionals in nonprofit, government and financial public relations.
“We chose our topics based on what we thought best suited the region we want to cater toward,” says Kynsay Hunt, university PRSSA district conference director and vice president of programming. “All roads in the Southeast lead to Columbia, after all! Since we’re a capital city, we had to highlight government.”
The conference will feature sessions with three keynote speakers: Amanda Finney, chief of staff for the White House Press Office and special assistant to the White House press secretary; Trent Flood, APR, senior vice president and communications executive at Bank of America; and Antjuan Seawright, senior advisor to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and founder/president of Blueprint Strategy LLC.
“I’ve been able to speak to each of the keynotes personally, and I really think they’re going to bring the conference to life,” Hunt says. “Not to mention, we are lucky enough to get a visit from the PRSSA national vice president of events and fundraising.”
Along with the keynotes, conference attendees will get the opportunity to hear from other speakers from distinguished public relations professions, attend a leadership summit and mingle and network with guests. Attendees can also catch a front-row seat on Friday evening for a special performance from musician and university PRSSA vice president of membership Mia Green.
The conference is open to students from any university. Attendees are encouraged to come prepared to ask questions and engage with speakers and peers. Hunt says PRSSA is excited to share this experience with current and future public relations professionals from all over the country and from all walks of life.
“It’s about building community within the J-school, helping our members build their network with peers from other universities and helping them get exposure to different sides of PR they maybe haven’t seen before,” she says. “With any luck, this won’t be the last Eyes on the PRize conference!”
More information about the conference can be found online and on social media @eyesontheprizeuofsc. The hybrid event will also include an online attendance option for those who can’t make it in person.
Albemarle, North Carolina native Brooke Burris is a senior public relations major.
After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in travel and tourism PR. In her free
time, Brooke enjoys hiking, painting and spending time with friends.
Brooke Burris