Esther Kim, a fourth-year public relations main, was named Excellent Scholar within the nation by PRWeek, one of many trade’s main commerce publications.
Kim was named Excellent Scholar on the PRWeek US Awards gala in New York Metropolis on March 14, 2024, attended by greater than 800 trade leaders. Celebrating its twenty fifth yr, the PRWeek Awards is taken into account one of the crucial prestigious award applications within the public relations trade.
“We’re very pleased with Esther as I do know she labored so arduous to develop her marketing campaign and obtain this accomplishment,” stated Juan Meng, UGA Athletic Affiliation Endowed Professor and head of the Division of Promoting and Public Relations. “It is a recognition of her versatility to use and adapt information and abilities acquired in her public relations training to deal with actual world points. Esther is an exemplary scholar who’s professionally devoted to tutorial excellence and integrity. We’re so joyful for her success.”
The nationwide competitors challenges college students to develop a completely built-in communications marketing campaign addressing a particular immediate. This yr, college students performed analysis and created objectives, methods and techniques centered on “Emphasizing the seriousness of local weather change and educating a divided America.” The campaigns had been required to deal with local weather change believers and deniers, whereas additionally incorporating the usage of AI.
“I’m extraordinarily grateful for the chance to attend PRWeek Awards amongst such distinguished professionals who’ve been main our nation in communications,” Kim stated. “I’m profoundly grateful to my unbelievable mentors, professors, and friends who’ve supported and guided me all through my journey. This award is as a lot theirs as it’s mine, and I thank them from the underside of my coronary heart for believing in me and serving to me attain new heights.”
Along with Kim, Morgan Jones, a fourth-year public relations scholar, was named one of many High 5 Excellent College students. Jin Lee and Eli Banzon had been additionally nominated by the division for the award and all 4 college students labored with Ben Deutsch, part-time teacher, to arrange their campaigns.
“It was a pleasure to work with Esther, Morgan, Jin and Eli,” stated Deutsch, a former vice chairman of company communications at Coca-Cola. “This was a fancy task, however the college students had been nicely geared up for the problem as a result of learnings and experiences they’ve gained at Grady Faculty. I used to be actually impressed by their strategic considering and creativity. I’m very pleased with all of them and, in fact, tremendous excited that Esther’s marketing campaign was acknowledged as the most effective within the nation.”
Moreover, the Grady Faculty Division of Promoting and Public Relations was named one in all high 5 teaching programs nationwide and was thought of for the highest honor within the PRWeek Excellent Training Program within the nation.
Kim stated working with Deutsch was very useful in serving to her to slim down the course of a giant, overarching subject. Meng and Tom Cullen, a public relations lecturer, additionally offered suggestions on getting ready the submission.
“Being a finalist and eventual winner validated lots of issues I’ve achieved and figuring out that the judges didn’t take a look at my resume however that it was my work that’s getting acknowledged, is very nice,” Kim stated.
Kim used the Mission Earth theme for her marketing campaign, which was a nod to her love of the present “Mission Unattainable.” She integrated a proposed partnership with NASA International Local weather Change to make sure creditability, and SentiOne, an AI platform, that might be used as a social listening instrument.
Along with her main in public relations, Kim is a member of the Morehead Honors Faculty and is incomes certificates in New Media and the Institute for Management Development, a program of the Terry Faculty of Enterprise. She can be the lead curator for TEDxUGA, govt director for The Backpack Mission of Athens and a Grady Faculty ambassador. Kim is a medical assistant on the Athens Wellness Clinic and plans to attend medical college after commencement.
Campaigns had been submitted from public relations applications all through the nation, and the finalists had been primarily based on their creativity and skill to suppose strategically and analytically. Different finalists this yr got here from the College of Florida and Penn State.
Author: Sarah Freeman, [email protected]
