By Shaina Kyluik, a second-year public relations student at Mount Royal University.
My name is Shaina and I am a proud member of the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS). Being a student member with CPRS Calgary has opened doors to many new and exciting opportunities that have helped grow my knowledge and passion for public relations.
I’ve been a student member for over a year now and because of this, I was able to secure a volunteer position as social media manager for the CPRS Calgary’s student pages. I run the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages creating posts about the latest news, events and opportunities for students. Volunteering in this role since becoming a student member has given me some great perspective about CPRS Calgary and the opportunities it provides to students in communications and public relations.
Recently, I was given the opportunity to co-host a resume roundtable event for students to help improve their resume building skills while receiving feedback from PR professionals. Helping plan this event not only had me thinking creatively to promote the event via social media but also introduced me to the work it takes to effectively plan a virtual event. Taking on this role made me realize that all I had to do to gain experience and connect with PR professionals was to get involved in the many opportunities that CPRS Calgary offers to students like me.
In addition, becoming a member was an easy and beneficial way for me to gain access to the Mentorship Program, which pairs students in public relations with a CPRS member to help gain experience and expertise.
Joining CPRS Calgary is a great way for students to gain hands-on experiences and knowledge in the industry while completing their studies in school. I think any student looking to join a community with a helpful and professional learning environment should choose CPRS Calgary as a part of their PR journey.
