IPREX, a global communication and public relations network for independent agencies, launched a cohort program with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in 2025. The program was set to promote diversity within the public relations industry by connecting agencies with experienced rising PR professionals.  

As a member of the inaugural IPREX FAMU cohort, I recently attended an IPREX presentation at FAMU with SalterMitchell PR President Heidi Otway to share my experience participating in the cohort. 

Despite the significance I found in the presentation, the most notable moment came from a student who spoke to me afterwards. She was a transfer student who recently entered into the Public Relations program. 

She asked, “What was on your resume that helped you to stand out while applying for the cohort?”

After thinking about the best way to reply to her question, I gave her my honest answer: “Nothing.”

My bachelor’s degree is in Broadcast Journalism. Truthfully, I knew as much about public relations as she did when I applied to the student cohort. However, one thing we did share was a determination to ask questions, get involved and learn.

In the inaugural cohort, I was the only journalism student. I did not know what “B2B” meant, how to write a press release, or what agency life was like. Yet, my experience in the cohort was significant to me not only because I was able to learn about the public relations industry, but it showed me that I have everything it takes to succeed in it.

During the cohort’s 7-month program, I had access to global industry leaders from countries like Canada and Singapore to ask questions about the profession, such as the importance of a media kit and what an agency's role is for their clients. 

I learned that public relations does not have one look. Public relations can look like supporting your clients during a crisis or utilizing storytelling to craft a brand image.

My experience with the cohort led me to the IPREX Global Conference in Miami, Florida, where I was able to personally meet public relations leadersprofessionals from across the world. These professionals did not all study public relations in college, but held different degrees, countries of origin, languages and perspectives. They did not care about my program of study, but that I showed up to meetings, inquired about their backgrounds, learned about their journeys and was eager to learn.

Admitting that I knew nothing, and would do anything to learn, is what placed me in the room. 

I am grateful for that room, and I will carry that experience with me into every room I enter as I embark on my journey as a public relations professional.

So, to any student interested in a professional development opportunity like the IPREX student cohort, take a chance and apply. You may not have the experience, or the knowledge, but putting yourself out there is the first step to growing your skills.

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