by Brooke Elliot
This year’s recipient of the Public Relations Graduate of the Year award is Emily Stembridge. Emily’s interest in the public relations industry began with the show “Scandal.” However, after visiting Belmont and meeting Dr. Bonnie Riechert, Emily knew that PR was the right fit for her. Emily describes that she chose corporate communications as her minor after taking Business and Professional Communications with Dr. Jimmy Davis. She emphasized how corporate communication also complements public relations. After being asked how she maintained a balance between school and campus engagement, Emily responded with “I think prioritization is key.” While prioritizing school and campus organizations can be a juggling act, Emily says that writing things down, paying close attention to due dates and working around her schedule were some of her best practices. Emily explained how she was shocked when she found out that she and her teammate won the Parthenon Award after originally missing the live announcement that they won. “It was incredible to be acknowledged on a professional level before even graduating,” Emily remarks. If Emily could give one piece of advice to an aspiring public relations professional, she would say that getting real world experience as soon as possible is key.
In addition, she advises students to get involved with PRSSA and to take advantage of the professors in the department. Emily’s time at JKS Communications taught her important skills in time management, the ability to prioritize tasks and technical skills. After securing her current job at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Emily explained her experience with LinkedIn, “I am a big believer in the power of LinkedIn. Don’t be afraid of messaging people to ask for an informational interview. The right connections will almost always be willing to help.” Belmont’s extensive opportunities to study abroad is Emily’s favorite aspect about Belmont. Emily studied abroad three separate times: once in London, once in Italy and a second time in London which unfortunately was cut short due to COVID-19. She describes how those trips were life-changing experiences that she will cherish for the rest of her life.
Lucy Walsh, recipient of the Public Relations Top Academic Achievement Award, describes that she had to navigate between campus organizations and internship commitments while also keeping up with her schoolwork. One way that Lucy accomplished this was by sitting down with no distractions to knock out some work. Lucy practiced this heavily while studying away in New York City; an incentive to get her work done was being able to live out the “NYC experience” by studying in the reading room of the New York Public Library. After COVID-19 hit, Lucy had to learn to adjust her screen time to her new learning and studying habits. When asked about some strategies she could give struggling students, Lucy responded with, “Go to office hours and make friends in class! Having a professor or classmate to bounce ideas off of and collaborate with can make all the difference.”
Lucy also emphasized that choosing topics that you have a deep passion for when doing projects will make the work much easier. Lucy enjoys going on walks around Belmont Boulevard, Belmont’s campus or the loop at Fort Negley whenever she needs help alleviating stress. If Lucy could rewind to four years ago, she would tell her freshman self to look for mentors in unlikely places. Lucy is grateful for mentors like Dr. Bonnie Riechert, Professor Sara Wigal, Holly Newsome, Julia Couch and Chelsea Lomartire for enriching the type of professional and person she has always aspired to be. While graduate school had always been on Lucy’s radar, she often felt that would be down the road for her. However, over the summer, Lucy decided to do some research into what programs would meet her academic needs while keeping her in Nashville. In December of 2020, Lucy was accepted into Vanderbilt University’s Master of Marketing program in the Owen graduate School of Management. Lucy’s greatest piece of advice that she has ever received is: “Be grateful for where you are at, what you are doing, and those you are doing it with.”
Katie McAdams, recipient of the Public Relations Leadership Award, has not always known that she wanted to go into law to advocate for oppressed and marginalized individuals. After starting out in Belmont’s nursing program, Katie soon realized that nursing was not the field that she wanted to pursue. While she loved the social and emotional support aspect of nursing, she did not like the physical aspect. Katie’s love for community service and nonprofits remained a constant in her life, and she ultimately decided that going to law school would solidify the impact that she wants to make in the future on individuals and the community. While Katie took several public relations courses at Belmont, her favorite course was public relations cases. She was fascinated by all of the different case studies she read, and she describes how this course showed the intersection between several professions and public relations. As the recipient of the department’s leadership award, Katie explains how she learned much about setting boundaries and feeling comfortable with saying “no.” “This was key to my ability to keep my grades where I wanted them, fulfilling my leadership duties and maintaining my life outside of those things,” says Katie. Katie believes that all leaders should practice communication, compassion and curiosity.
If Katie could give one piece of advice to aspiring law students, she would tell them to pursue all of their passions and to reach out to people. Katie describes how she reached out to over 40 students, faculty members and alumni to help gain insight on their career path. Doing this helped Katie gain different perspectives while contributing to her understanding of the role she aspires to play in the world one day. When Katie is not doing schoolwork or community activities, she still loves to learn. She enjoys watching documentaries, reading books or solving puzzles. Katie will be continuing her education at Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in Baltimore, Maryland. The school’s commitment to public service and community involvement stood out to Katie during the application process. Katie says to always “Trust your gut and follow your bliss!”
Brooke Elliott is a junior at Belmont University studying public relations and economics. Elliott has lived in Nashville her entire life, and in her free time she enjoys going on hikes, driving on backroads and spending time with friends and family. After graduation, Elliott hopes to work as the public relations coordinator for any up-and-coming beauty brand. Connect with Elliott on LinkedIn.