On November 13, 2024, Advertising and Public Relations Senior and Public Relations major Brooke Swanson was awarded the Donald P. Durocher Memorial Scholarship from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Detroit. Swanson was only one of two students recognized at this event and the only student from Michigan State University. Swanson heard about the scholarship and jumped at the opportunity to apply.
When Swanson found out she got the scholarship she was shocked.
"I was honored to have been selected. It was special to represent MSU as only one of two recipients," Swanson said.
The award was given at the PRSA Detroit Annual Meeting, which was held at Michigan Culinary Center in Southfield. This event is held annually to celebrate accomplishments of the chapter and to elect the next group of chapter leaders.
The event started with a networking cocktail hour during which time Swanson got to make many different connections, including PR professionals from Detroit agencies, PRSA board members and chapter president.
Swanson decided to pursue PR as a major because of her love for writing and media, which began in high school when she served as an editor for her school newspaper. She discovered a passion for PR during her first internship with Stellantis, where she gained experience in media relations, corporate writing, and event planning. Swanson has completed a minor in business and added a minor in writing to her studies.
Shortly after declaring her major in PR Swanson joined MSU's Public Relations Student Society of America, which provided her with numerous opportunities to develop skills for a future career in the field.
“My favorite meeting with PRSSA was the event planning activity where we conducted a mock campaign for Pop Daddy Snacks, a Howell-based small business,” said Swanson.
After Swanson graduates, she hopes to work in the automotive or entertainment industry.
"I've been looking into both agency and in-house positions, my dream is to land a job in automotive or entertainment post-graduation,” Swanson said.
Read more about Swanson’s experience
By: Logan Chrisinske