Brag Board
Kwantlen Students Win PR Industry Awards
In an unprecedented move, the Canadian Public Relations Society in Vancouver
has recognized not one, but two students with the Dean Miller-CPRS
Scholarship. The society normally only offers only award per year. However,
the submissions from a couple of Kwantlen students were so impressive that
the awards committee felt they had to recognize both candidates.For 2011
only, the prestigious Dean Miller-CPRS scholarship goes to PR Diploma
graduates- Lydia Frey and Lesley Chang.
Lydia said, "It was a great honour to be awarded the Dean Miller Scholarship through CPRS. Joining CPRS was one of the best decision I have made and for the past two years its members have been there to teach, mentor and assist me as I began my career in public relations. They have provided me with a strong network of professionals who continue to guide me in my career. I am also honoured to be awarded the scholarship alongside Lesley Chang."
"I would like to extend my gratitude to the Canadian Public Relations Society as well as the Kwantlen PR Faculty for all the guidance they've provided me in the past two years," says Lesley Chang. "I found the mentorship program offered by the CPRS student portfolio to be of great value as it connected classroom learning with real-world situations. Receiving the Dean Miller scholarship is an honour and sharing it with Lydia Frey is another great honour in itself."
The Dean Miller-CPRS award recognizes excellence in the practice of public relations as well as volunteer contributions to the community and the PR profession. Year after year, Kwantlen PR Diploma grads are successful in winning this high honour bestowed by the PR profession in Vancouver.
“This track record of success demonstrates how the PR Diploma Program prepares our grads to succeed in the professional world of public relations and communications,” says Terri Smolar, Coordinator of the Kwantlen PR Diploma Program. “We are thrilled to 
have the Kwantlen program so represented among the winners of this important PR industry award.”
About the Kwantlen PR Diploma Program
Kwantlen PR students have an intense two-year, full-time program in media relations, PR writing, marketing, organizational communication, issues management & crisis response. They are trained in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and HTML. The students conduct a special event fundraiser for a non-profit and have raised as much as $12,000 for such charities as: BC Cancer Agency, BCSPCA, Covenant House, BC Professional Firefighter's Burn Fund, and the Cinderella Project. For more info: http://www.kwantlen.ca/business/pr.html
About CPRS
Founded in 1959, CPRS Vancouver is a networking and professional development organization serving public relations and communications practitioners in British Columbia. Members belong to corporations, government, not-for-profit organizations, associations, health care, education, public relations agencies and independent consultancies. http://www.cprsvancouver.com/
Kwantlen PR Student Wins Industry Scholarship
Erin Raimondo may have been shocked when she heard the news, but the judges who selected her for the Dean Miller CPRS Vancouver Scholarship Award had no doubts after reviewing her two years in the Kwantlen PR Diploma Program. The award, sponsored by the Canadian Public Relations Society in honour of PR great, Dean Miller, recognizes excellence in public relations strategy, writing and production.
A second year student enrolled in the final semester of Kwantlen's PR program, Erin achieved a remarkable 4.21 Grade Point Average. What is even more amazing is that she scored top marks while volunteering for the MS Walk, the BC Chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Big Brothers and the CPRS On The Edge national conference this year. Erin currently is completing her PR practicum at Curve Communications.
The judges -- Kevin Boothroyd, Adam Grossman and Michael Bernard -- said her submitted work project, an effort with classmates organizing the promotion of Circus of the Night event at Kwantlen, "exemplified the best practices of this profession". Erin receives a cheque for $1,000 and an invitation to speak about her career plans at the CPRS Vancouver Annual General Meeting in June.
The latter requirement proved to be a boon for last year's winner Jennifer Currie, (also a Kwantlen PR grad) who was quickly snatched up by Peak Communicators after her appearance at the dinner. The judges said the quality of this year's submissions was very high and they sent personal letters to each entrant congratulating them on their academic achievements.
Diploma in Public Relations Grad Receives
President's Outstanding Graduate Award
Sarah Hawkins, Diploma in Public Relations graduate and Dean’s Honour Roll recipient, received Kwantlen’s President’s Outstanding Graduate Award for a diploma program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s 2009 Convocation ceremony held at its Surrey Campus.
Sarah, a Richmond resident, is passionate about music and an outspoken advocate for healthy living. Through her education with Kwantlen’s PR Diploma Program, Sarah developed strong communication skills and PR knowledge, and landed a media relations internship at Nettwerk Music Group, a local record label and artist management company.
Besides participating fully in the PR Diploma Program, Sarah also volunteered to help with the 2009 On the Edge conference of the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS), June 7-9th in Vancouver. She believes in the value of contribution to the PR profession and the community.
The PR Diploma Program is proud of Sarah and all of our outstanding graduates.
Kwantlen PR Student Receives Fred Gingell Award
Jenn Currie, an honours student, has received the Fred Gingell Award. This $1,200 award, in memory of Delta MLA Fred Gingell, is offered each year to a Kwantlen student displaying scholastic achievement and participation in community activities.
After obtaining a bachelors degree in Psychology Jenn realized that she needed more practical skills to offer an employer, and Kwantlen's PR program had what she was looking for.
Jenn had one goal when she entered the Kwantlen PR program in 2007 - to succeed. Thanks to hard work and an engaging learning environment she has been able to achieve this, earning a cumulative grade point average of 4.25.
Jenn wanted to make her experience at Kwantlen both rewarding and fun. To do this she created a Facebook group where she and her classmates could share assignment questions and organize social gatherings. Jenn also become involved with CPRS Vancouver, and represented Kwantlen on the 2008-2009 CPRS Vancouver Student Committee.
Jenn has furthered her public relations skills working for The Tartan Group in Victoria, and as a Tour Coordinator with the 2010 Legacies Now Connecting Communities Tour.
She has also had the opportunity to volunteer her PR skills to the 7th Annual Young Women's Leadership and Development Conference, and to Opportunitas Aequa (OA), a local non-profit that uses the unifying power of soccer to create stronger and healthier communities in at-risk and war-affected regions of the world.
Jenn offers this piece of advice to anyone entering Kwantlen's PR program, "Recognize the value of building strong relationships with your classmates, since they will one day be your colleagues in the PR industry!"
Kwantlen PR Student Awarded with Millennium Scholarship
Kwantlen PR grad Karin Lornsen proved that hard work and determination pay off. The honours student received two prestigious awards only one year after she started the Kwantlen PR Program in fall 2007. After receiving the Kwantlen entrance scholarship for her outstanding academic performance, she was also awarded the Millennium Scholarship, valued at $4,000. The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation provides students with opportunities to pursue the post-secondary education they need to prepare themselves for the future.
Initially, Lornsen doubted that she would succeed in the PR program. "Being a German native speaker, I was worried that my mother tongue would hinder me from pursuing a PR career in Canada," she said. "But thanks to the encouragement of instructors and classmates, I learned how to turn my burden into an opportunity."
Lornsen's success grew from her previous work experiences in the PR field, her Arts degree, and her passion for the communications field. Among others, she worked as a freelance journalist, language instructor and PR assistant at a German SIEMENS branch. Looking back, she says, she wouldn't do anything differently. "I encourage all future PR students, especially those from different backgrounds, to believe in themselves and to build on their experiences and skills. I furthermore advise everyone to take the initiative and apply for scholarships as early as possible, because the hunt for financial aid can be competitive."
Judy Hsu Receives the CPRS-Dean Miller Scholarship
Published in the e-newsletter of the Canadian Public Relations Society
"Judy Hsu, an honours public relations student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, receives the CPRS-Dean Miller Scholarship from Bill Steele, Western Canada senior accounts manager for Cision Canada at the CPRS Vancouver Annual General Meeting Oct. 2. Hsu achieved a Grade Point Average of 4.11 and was described as an outstanding collaborative individual in her class. She holds a BSc in genetics and wants to help translate scientific and medical knowledge for the lay person. She works for the BC Centre for Disease Control as a Communications Coordinator.
Cision Canada and Jean Miller have generously supported the scholarship named in honour of the Vancouver PR legend Dean Miller."
Kwantlen Honours Public Relations Diploma Graduate
with Governor General’s Academic Medal
Public Relations Diploma graduate, Cathy Yeomans has received the Governor General’s Academic Medal at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s 2008 Convocation ceremony held at Kwantlen’s Surrey campus.
On behalf of the Governor General of Canada, this medal is awarded annually to a Kwantlen student. Considered the highest academic honour Kwantlen can bestow, the winning student has, in the opinion of the selection committee, attained the highest academic standing in the graduation year of a two-year diploma program. Kwantlen Polytechnic University will match the Governor General’s Medal with $500.
Kwantlen is Cathy Yeomans’ university. She initially chose Kwantlen because it is the only university that offers a two-year diploma program in public relations (PR), but she soon realized that Kwantlen could benefit her in other ways.
After taking a leave of absence from work due to a serious back and knee injury, Yeomans was ready to seek a new career and took a series of personality/profession tests to find the profession best suited for her. “All of my tests kept leading to a profession in PR,” explained Yeomans. After researching university PR programs, Yeomans chose Kwantlen and received a two-year grant from Service Canada. Yeomans explained, “Kwantlen seemed like the best fit for me. Based on the class descriptions, I would get the most thorough education compared to the rest.” Yeomans added, “As a mature student, I really wanted this opportunity to change my field and start making a better income—I knew this goal couldn’t happen without a credential.”
After her acceptance into the program, Yeomans quickly caught on and graduated with a 4.21 GPA. Maintaining her grades was a hard thing to do, but Yeomans was able to successfully persevere with the support from her peers and instructors.
“My classmates helped me tremendously, and the instructors were awesome—They helped me stretch myself and see my true potential.”
Her one piece of advice to anyone considering going back to school: “I encourage you to never be afraid to ask for help, both from Kwantlen peers and instructors. Learning from many different perspectives not only helps with assignments and projects, but also helps you expand the way you think and enriches your education.”
