Public relations alumna awarded $10,000 scholarship

Andrea Jackson ’10 dreams of one day being a leader in the competitive field of entertainment public relations. Thanks to a $10,000 scholarship from The LAGRANT Foundation that she is receiving in New York City later this month, she is one step closer to fulfilling that dream.

Andrea Jackson will receive her $10,000 scholarship from The LAGRANT Foundation May 22-24 in New York City.

“Definitely – that’s where I want to be,” said the FIU Public Relations alumna. “I want to work my way up to that, to where I want to be, so I am very happy about this scholarship.”

This is but the latest in a series of accomplishments for Jackson, a grad student in FIU’s Global Strategic Communication track. The Jacksonville native recently completed her second semester in the master’s program, earning straight As, and is currently enrolled at FIU full-time for the summer.

“I’m focusing on my studies right now,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of internships, but no job in PR just yet. My goal is to finish school by next April and go from there.”

Associate professor of advertising and public relations Rosanna Fiske is “very proud” of her student’s accomplishment.

“Andrea is so representative of our rich diversity here at FIU,” she said. “I’m doubly proud of her because she was and is my student and because she decided to further her education after getting her bachelor’s degree. That forethought will serve her well in her career and make her a better professional.”

The LAGRANT Foundation is a nonprofit organization working toward increasing the number of ethnic minorities in advertising, marketing and PR by providing scholarships, career development workshops, professional development, mentorships and internships to minority undergraduate and graduate students.

“I’m really looking forward to going to network and meeting the other recipients and get their insights and build our network and foundation for the future,” Jackson said. “Who knows, maybe I’ll meet my future partners there.”

As part of the scholarship, Jackson will be paired with a LAGRANT professional for a year, receiving career guidance and development.

“I’ll be keeping a blog to keep the foundation up-to-date with my endeavors. That could be career-wise or internship related,” she said.