By Victoria Durgin, Digital Media Editor
The Susquehanna University chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is now first in the state and one of the top four in the nation for its efforts to increase awareness about organ donation.
The Susquehanna chapter of PRSSA competed in Donate Life PA’s annual organ donor registration competition held at college and universities across the state.
“It was absolutely unreal,” PRSSA president Samantha Carpentiere said about the win.
The recognition came along with a $1000 check presentation on Sept. 4 in Apfelbaum Hall. The check was presented by the Gift of Life Donor Program in conjunction with the group Donate Life PA.
According to the club’s advisor professor Linda Burkley 2019 was the first time the club ever competed in the donor registration campaign challenge.
“My goal was to give students in the practicum an opportunity to have a real-world problem and solution situation,” Burkley said.
Carpentiere said the challenge gave PRSSA members the chance to apply the skills they learn to a real situation.
“It really brought things into perspective for us as a group,” Carpentiere said.
“It’s a good real world experience for sure.”
Carpentiere and Burkley both said they were proud a small club like the Susquehanna chapter competed and ultimately won against larger schools like Drexel University and Pennsylvania State University.
“Just because we’re a small school doesn’t mean we can’t compete,” Burkley said in reference to the competition posed by the larger schools in the state.
Carpentiere said winning was “definitely unexpected” but also brought a sense of pride to the members of the group.
The donor campaign, which included a media relations campaign and both primary and secondary research registered 48 new organ donors according to information provided by Donate Life PA. According to the group those 48 donors could save 384 lives.
Burkley hopes the recent success will bring more awareness to PRSSA’s credibility as an organization.
Additionally, Burkley said the club plans to use the $1000 prize to fund several events on campus that would be open to students. In the past the group has hosted etiquette dinners and cocktail hours to help prepare students for a variety of environments they may encounter in the professional world.
Carpentiere said that she hopes the success will allow the chapter to grow. Carpentiere also said she has inquired about other competitions similar to the donor registration challenge the club could compete in.
According to Burkley the club will likely compete in the donor challenge again this April, though they will need to design an entirely new campaign.
In addition to being named the best campaign in Pennsylvania, PRSSA’s campaign was also announced to be one of the four best in the country.
Burkley said the national PRSSA organization only announces which school is first, which school is second, and so on during their national conference on October 25.