BU Seniors win big in state-wide media competition

06/06/2011 11:47 AM

The Illinois Woman’s Press Association judges used phrases like, “creative”, “innovative” and “ingenious coupling of industry and non-profit” when they awarded Bradley University’s Super Cell PR six first places for their senior class project in Public Relations.

Super Cell PR principals Bethany Doty, Megan King, Dassie Rice and Caitlyn Stoekley formed the temporary firm last Fall as members of Dr. Ron Koperski’s senior project class.

The awards were:

First Place for Public Relations Campaign for a Non-Profit Institution:

First Place for Social Media Campaign, Facebook;

First Place Social Media Campaign for Twitter Account,

First Place for Podcast News Broadcast

First Place for Brochure 4-color Design,

First Place for Media Feature Release written for Non-Profit

Stoekley and Rice, spring graduates, both attended the awards luncheon where they found themselves in the august company of seasoned book authors, journalists, PR professionals and a variety of media personalities.

The PR project which allied a construction crew with an agency working to help elderly and handicapped people to stay in their homes really impressed the judges who called the project, “well-thought-out” and “exciting”. In competition with professional PR firms and individuals, the project is continuing to flourish under the unique combination. It is also inspiring other construction companies and received national recognition in national industrial publications.

Responding to their rewards, Stoekley said, “It took us awhile to create the perfect meld of for profit and not-for-profit companies, but it all just clicked -our personalities, ideas and execution worked so well together.” Both she and Rice thought they would like to work together in the future.

While receiving the awards was validation for their hard work, the real validation, according to the young women, was the experience of competing successfully and knowing they had won in a professional environment. The girls continue to receive accolades from both the non profit Advocates for Access and from Becker Construction Company.

As recent graduates of Bradley’s PR program all four women are pursuing careers in the advertising/ public relations field.

IWPA is the Illinois affiliate of NFPW, an organization that offers networking and professional development, and is dedicated to professional excellence and the highest ethical standards in the communications field, and to the rights and responsibilities of the First Amendment. Its members work in print and electronic journalism, public relations, advertising, freelance writing, graphic design, new media, marketing, photography, book publishing, education and more.

Student authors interested in competing with the professionals should contact Dr. Margaret Young, IWPA and Student Contest Faculty Advisor. “We have had several students enter the 100 year old IWPA Mate E. Palmer Awards and other contests with successful results in the past and I encourage students to try out the real world -though not all achieve the highest awards as did these four exceptional young women, the competition always gives them validation and looks great on the resume.” Young said.