New York, NY – The PRSA Foundation announced a new $5,000 scholarship for high-potential minority students who will enter their senior year in the fall of 2010. Minority students enrolled in a journalism or public relations program or taking courses to prepare for a career in public relations are encouraged to apply. The Marcia Silverman Scholarship is made possible by a donation to the PRSA Foundation from Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.
Marcia SilvermanMarcia Silverman is the chair of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. During her tenure as the firm’s global CEO and first president of the Americas, the agency tripled its U.S. size, expanded into a global powerhouse and revolutionized public relations through initiatives, including such campaigns as CDC’s America Responds to AIDS and U.S. Fire Administration’s “Stop Drop and Roll.” Many clients from her early days are still with the agency.
As the first female president at a major public relations firm and one of the industry’s first female CEOs, Silverman opens doors. Today, 50 percent of Ogilvy PR’s managing directors are women. Women lead the consumer marketing, corporate, healthcare and research practices. “The Heart Truth” and other campaigns advocate for women worldwide. Earlier this year, Silverman was named the PRSA Foundation 2010 Paladin Award winner for her outstanding leadership and commitment to the practice of public relations.
“Marcia leads by example, motivates by empowerment, and rewards with generosity and warmth. For those of us lucky enough to work at Ogilvy, we bleed Ogilvy red; we are proud both of our work and where we work. For this, we thank Marcia Silverman. Importantly, Marcia is also a teacher. As long as you are smart enough to listen, watch and inquire, there is no end to the knowledge and wisdom you can acquire from paying attention to Marcia’s incredible life and career, ” said Robert Mathias, Ogilvy Washington, D.C., managing director, said as he introduced the new scholarship in Silverman’s honor.
PRSA Foundation President Debbie Mason, APR, Fellow PRSA, senior vice president of United Way of Broward County, Fla., said that the Marcia Silverman Scholarship is the largest award of its kind to be awarded to minority students from the Foundation. “Ogilvy has chosen to honor their leader Marcia Silverman in a wonderful way — to reach out to minority students with an amazing $5,000 scholarship demonstrating that through support and inclusion of all students, the PRSA Foundation can make a significant difference in the life of a student as they enter their senior year.”
The PRSA Foundation currently awards 15 scholarships annually via seven scholarship funds. The Marcia Silverman Scholarship winner will be announced at the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) awards dinner in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 18, 2010, as part of the group’s national conference, which is held concurrently with the Public Relations Society of America’s International Conference.
The recruitment and selection process for PRSA Foundation scholarships is managed by PRSSA staff members. Marcia Silverman Scholarship applicants will be evaluated based on criteria that include writing skills, academic achievements, demonstrated leadership qualities, practical experience and commitment to public relations as expressed in written statements.
Details on applying for the Marcia Silverman Scholarship are available on the PRSAA Web site. The deadline for applications is Monday, June 14, 2010.