For eight recent graduates, a class project started during their final semester turned into an award-winning public relations campaign that gained them valuable experience for their careers.
Students in Renea Nichols' spring Comm 473 Public Relations Campaigns class received an award for the campaign they concocted in conjunction with the Gift of Life Donor Program. Rowan University, the contest coordinator, announced June 30 that the Penn State students had placed first in the annual competition.
Nichols, senior lecturer and professor for the class, said she tells her students every spring semester about the event. One of her classes placed second in 2007.
She said she gets her students involved with competitions because it is a test of their skills.
Students in Comm 473 are required to create a campaign regardless of the competition, so this is just an option she gives to one of the groups. But she said it's "a whole 'nother ball game" when a group chooses to compete.
"I told them 'Look, we're not going to enter this thing unless we're going to win it,' " Nichols said. "I put a lot of pressure on them."
It paid off. Laura Henderson, a member of the group, said Nichols' deadlines and knowledge in the public relations field helped formulate the campaign.
"She just comes up with ideas in like two seconds," Henderson said. "Any company would want her."
Henderson said the goal of the campaign was to have more people register as organ donors and to spread awareness.
The campaign took place in April, which has been dubbed National Organ Donor Month, said Henderson. The students' campaign efforts included a public service announcement at LateNight Penn State, information tables in the HUB-Robeson Center and presence at both the Movin' On concert and the Blue-White Game. The group was given a $500 budget from Gift of Life.
Jessica Mikula, another group member, said they put many hours into the project. She said it feels great to be able to say she conducted an actual campaign.
"I think it gives you more of an investment in your project because it's not just for a grade," Mikula said.
Brandon Bernola, another group member, said it was a hard task to come up with ideas about how to have people sign up as organ donors because of the stigmas and rumors that coincide with the idea.
"It's basically like selling death," he said. "It's virtually impossible, but we did a pretty good job."
Bernola said the hardest part was approaching people in the HUB and talking about organ donation, because it is not a topic they'd expect -- especially since it's a big decision to make. He said most people looked at him like he was "an idiot." Bernola said he would still take something away from his experience.
"We were inside the HUB and this kid came up to me and asked what we were doing it for. He looked so grateful for it. He walked away and said 'God bless you,' " Bernola said. "It made me realize we were actually doing some good."
Other members of the Comm 473 group were Olivia Falcione, Allison Kershner, Han Ma, Michael McLaughlin and Shin Yoshida. They all graduated in May.
Tyler Raup contributed to this report.
