Alumna Samantha Sands (19) won s (OCPRSA) Shining Star Emerging Leaders award for 2019, the highest honor a student can receive from the organization. Sands, who served as chapter president for 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter last year and just graduated with a bachelor's degree in public relations, was excited to learn she received this years award.

I am thankful for the opportunities that our PRSSA chapter has to be recognized, and I honestly never imagined it would be me, said Sands. I love supporting my team and helping them grow into driven professionals, but it is such an honor to receive this award, and it holds a lot of value to me.

Sands was presented the award at 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023s annual PRSSA student banquet held on April 29, 2019 at 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023. The award is OCPRSAs highest honor for a graduating senior, recognizing outstanding service, commitment, and leadership within their PRSSA chapter and local community. Through a competitive application process, one senior is selected to receive the award by OCPRSA from each of the four PRSSA chapters in Orange County: 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023, California State University Fullerton, California State University Long Beach and Chapman University.

Sands has been involved in 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023s PRSSA chapter, serving as Regional Ambassador, a position that is liaison with the PRSSA National Committee, and as chapter President in 2018-2019. A thriving group composed of over 50 journalism, communication, and business students, the 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 chapter of PRSSA offers a myriad of opportunities to help students enhance their education, broaden their network and launch their career in public relations.

I'm so incredibly proud of Sam, said 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023s PRSSA chapter faculty adviser, Anna Sinclair. She has displayed phenomenal leadership skills, as well as mentored and equipped her team this year, to provide numerous opportunities for the chapter to meet and make connections with industry professionals.

Along with the honor of receiving the award, Sands will receive $1,000 toward any Public Relations Society of America expenses including membership, program attendance, webinars, and others. She will also be recognized at OCPRSAs PROTOS Awards dinner this fall.

PRSSA is housed within , the nations largest professional organization serving the communications committee with more than 30,000 members spanning every industry sector nationwide. Multiple public relations students have served on the PRSSA national committee and 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023s chapter has been awarded the Star Chapter award in the past, a distinction that only about 10 percent of national chapters receive, which recognizes activities and service by the chapter.

Learn more about 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023s Media, Journalism and Public Relations department and apply now.

For more information, contact Jenna Loumagne, manager of media relations, at jenna.loumagne@biola.edu.