The dance performance & choreography and strategic communications double major was recognized with the Just Drive Media Communications Fellowship, receiving a $5,000 scholarship and securing a paid internship with the communications agency Just Drive Media.
Every year, hundreds of students from across the country attend PRSSA ICON, the flagship conference of the Public Relations Society of America. At this year’s event, held Oct. 13-17 in Anaheim, California, Evelyn Ealey ’26 stood out not just as an attendee, but as an award winner.
The double major in dance performance & choreography and strategic communications was named a recipient of the Just Drive Media Communications Fellowship, which is awarded to a BIPOC-identified student who is a rising junior or senior and pursuing a career in public relations, advertising, marketing or journalism. As part of the fellowship, Ealey will receive a $5,000 scholarship and conduct a paid online internship with the communications agency Just Drive Media.
The Honors Fellow explained that she cherished the chance to travel to Southern California and engage in the conference’s many professional development, networking and educational offerings.
“Coming to ICON PRSSA has been a great way for me to network and meet people from coast to coast, to attend good sessions, to learn from other communications students about how their schools run their programs, and to get to know peers with whom you might work in the future, which has allowed me to make great connections,” she said. “Also, I received career advice from people who are already established professionals in the industry, and that was very valuable.”
While at ICON PRSSA, Ealey attended sessions examining fashion public relations, strategic creativity in the entertainment industry, the art of storytelling, marketing yourself as a content creator, and more. During the sessions, she heard from several notable names, including Diane Vara, director of PR Runway 7; Mercy Brown and Gary Miereanu, marketing manager of NBCUniversal and president of GT Marmots/PR, Inc., respectively; and Scott Pansky and Christy Weir, co-founder of Allison+ Partners and vice president of international media relations and communications for the Special Olympics, respectively.
“The speakers talked a lot about the importance of storytelling, of communicating authentically, and, of course, of AI,” Ealey said. “They discussed how humans still are essential to determine the right questions to ask and to use these technologies to the best of their abilities, to generate the best possible information. Good questions will generate good outcomes.”
Ealey also attended the PRSSA Career Development Exhibition and the keynote addresses by Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music; Gio Benitez, co-anchor of “Good Morning America;” and Suzi Brown, vice president of communications of Disneyland Resort.
“I loved how so many of the things these professionals shared with us align so well with what I am learning in my classes at Elon,” Ealey said. “For instance, all I am learning in my Brand Identity class – with Assistant Professor Michele Lashley – is on point!”
Elon’s chapter of PRSSA has an active agenda during the fall and spring semesters. Interested in getting involved? Students should contact Lashey (mlashley@elon.edu) or Associate Professor Jessalyn Strauss (jstrauss2@elon.edu), the chapter’s co-advisers.