As part of its mission to further public relations education and professional development, the Public Relations Foundation of Texas (PRFT) and TPRA jointly sponsor two student programs:
- Silver Spur Intern Program
- James W. Hart, Jr. Intern of the Year
2009 Silver Spur Intern Program
Each spring, a call goes out to TPRA members asking for applications for a summer intern.
Based on the scholarship budget, the TPRA board determines the number of interns which will be placed, and the companies that will be their hosts. Internship companies are announced to TPRA academic members in early spring, and they communicate with their students.
Students interested in internship placements apply directly to the TPRA internship company of their choice. The companies notify students who have been selected.
In order for students to qualify for these internship opportunities, they must meet the following criteria upon completion of their internships:
- Be graduating in December 2009 or later;
- Have worked approximately three months or 120 hours (to be determined by the sponsoring organization);
- Have met expectations of employer and successfully completed tasks assigned;
- Have performed a variety of PR duties such as writing, editing, event planning, media relations, etc.).
TPRA provides each intern with a $1000 scholarship, and the opportunity to participate in the Intern of the Year program. If chosen as James W. Hart Intern of the Year they receive an additional $1500 scholarship. All interns attend the Annual Conference as the guests of TPRA, but must provide their own transportation.
2009 Intern Companies Selected
American Heart Association - www.heart.org
The American Heart Association is a long-standing, well-respected organization that provides invaluable opportunity and experience in marketing, communications and media relations, as well as connection to the community through development, advocacy and alliances.
An intern would have the opportunity to work on each of these cause campaigns and not be limited to just working with the marketing team, but also working with our Public Advocacy Directors on legislative issues; our Corporate Market Directors on building awareness that raises funds; our State Health Alliance Directors on working with agencies to further save lives through specific initiatives with our hospitals, stroke centers, etc., and our Cultural Health Directors on programs that are geared specifically to our targeted Hispanic and African American populations.
Interns will have the privilege to attend meetings, coordinate campaigns, work with the media; write press releases; create ROI books that will be given to our sponsors to highlight how their investment has reached the community; work with our volunteers; help plan and organize special events such as the Go Red For Women luncheons and casting calls; the Power to End Stroke Gospel Concerts featuring international recording artist Kirk Franklin; attend and help secure coverage of our stellar Heart Balls and Galas, and work on our largest fundraisers, the Start! Heart Walks. Perhaps the greatest benefit of interning with the American Heart Association is the sense of empowerment that we offer. Interns don’t leave here with just having faxed releases and filed away papers; they leave here with portfolios of useful work that will make them marketable candidates within the field of communications.
The internship will be available in any one of the AHA offices in the following cities: Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Bryant/College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Ft. Worth, Galveston/Bay Area, Houston, Longview, Lubbock, Midland, San Angelo, San Antonio, South Texas (Pharr), Tyler, Waco and Wichita Falls. We are able to offer placement in the summer or the fall.
Contact: Yvette Blair, 214-712-1321. Interested candidates should send their resumes to
yvette.blair@heart.org.
MM2 Public Relations - www.mm2pr.com
MM2 Public Relations delivers the thinking, scope and impact typically associated with a large agency, but with the responsiveness, cost efficiency and passion of a small agency partner. For brand marketers, the firm helps companies reach consumers by developing creative campaigns that communicate brand attributes and identity through traditional and emerging channels. For corporate and business-to-business clients, MM2 Public Relations develops message-based campaigns that help drive measurable business results. To learn more about MM2 Public Relations, please visit our web site at www.mm2pr.com.
We’ve developed a comprehensive internship program designed to give future communications stars a head start in their career. Our interns receive a hands-on learning experience, working as part of an account team and assisting with public relations campaigns, market and industry-related research, media outreach and thought leadership for a broad range of clients.
Experience the following as part of your experience: Writing and pitching assignments, research assignments, long-term case study, mentoring, staff-led presentations and project ownership.
MM2 Public Relations has a seasoned staff of communications professionals with experience across a wide range of industries, including travel and hospitality, consumer products, insurance and financial services, technology and healthcare.
The agency is led by Larry Meltzer and Robert Martin, formerly founding partners of Omnicom’s BlueCurrent Public Relations and senior partners with Fleishman-Hillard. Prior to joining Fleishman-Hillard, they were at the helm of Dallas-based Meltzer & Martin Public Relations, which grew to become the largest independent public relations agency based in Texas.
Contact: Larry Meltzer, 214-379-3700. Interested candidates should send their resumes to larry.meltzer@mm2pr.com.
NuStar Energy L.P. - www.nustarenergy.com
(unpaid) NuStar Energy L.P., a publicly traded company based in San Antonio, is the No. 1 asphalt supplier on the U.S. East Coast and the No. 2 independent liquids terminal operator in the nation. The Corporate Communications internship includes a wide variety of tasks, including writing news releases, editing various materials, drafting stories for the company newsletter, designing graphic materials, planning and coordinating events, and much more. While the intern will be expected to help with some administrative duties (like everyone else on staff), he/she would certainly get a lot of great portfolio-building and confidence-boosting experience. The Corporate Communications group coordinates many of the company’s employee programs from its service award recognition and family day events, to its scholarship and volunteer of the year award programs. And, it leads all community relations programs, from overseeing the United Way campaign and the NuStar NuHope Golf Classic which raises money for the homeless, to the activities of the Volunteer Council.
Contact: Chris Cho, Lead Corporate Communications Specialist, 210-918-3953. Interested candidates should send their resume to:
chris.cho@nustarenergy.com.
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James W. Hart, Jr. Intern of the Year Award
Each summer, TPRA places students in internships across the state. Each receives a $1000 scholarship from TPRA. These students then compete for the James W. Hart, Jr. Intern of the Year award, which offers an additional $1500 scholarship, and $1000 for the student's University.
James W. Hart and Intern Program Overview
A panel of professional judges scores the candidates based on the quality of work performed during their internship position, such as writing skills displayed; variety of skills applied; initiative, organizational skills, follow-through, attention to detail; leadership abilities; and the quality of the student's final report.
2009 Intern of the Year: Jamison Hoelscher (interned with Newfield Exploration Co.)
Previous Winners:
2008 - Rosary Mangano
2007 - Heather Keenan
2006 - Camden Gilman
2005 - Patrick Dyer
2004 - Adrienne Fleming
2003 - Jennifer Hoff
2002 - Shea Mayberry
2001 - Anne Hoar
2000 - Sylvia Mugica
1999 - Jennifer Wilhite
1998 - Karla Bradford
1997 - Kathleen Matthew Fisher
