Why I Joined PRSSA: Ansley McLendon

By: Sara Lawrence

Meet Ansley McLendon, a 3rd year Grady student and the PRSSA Public Relations committee head!

Ansley McLendon currently serves as the Public Relations Committee Head for PRSSA and is pursuing a public relations major and public affairs certificate. Her unique journey began when she joined PRSSA at Georgia Southern University as a freshman and transferred to the University of Georgia her sophomore year. She originally joined PRSSA and re-affiliated at UGA because of its vast networking opportunities and the close community it creates within college. 

When she transferred, she became the Director of Internal Communications during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of pandemic restrictions, there were no in-person classes, so PRSSA was really her only connection to UGA at the time. PRSSA is like a family, and now that we are back to in person meetings, Ansley has already established relationships with many in the organization. 

Ansley noted that PRSSA has helped her in her academics because a lot of the members know the professors within Grady and are happy to give advice to anyone about classes. Professionally, Ansley’s involvement within PRSSA has helped her get an interview with Cox Enterprises, a renowned media company in Atlanta, as well as grow her resume and network with numerous professionals in all different sectors of PR. 

The public relations field is all about connections, and PRSSA’s guest speakers have given Ansley endless connections every meeting. She had the following advice for her fellow Grady students: Get involved in PRSSA, because we are not looking for people with five years of corporate experience, just passion and a willingness to dive into the PR field in depth for your career benefit. 

Ansley’s favorite part about PRSSA is undoubtedly the relationships she has formed through it. Every day she sees someone she knows from PRSSA on campus, and friendly faces are always a welcome site. Be part of the PRSSA family today by applying to be a member and serve on one of our committees! Link to the committee application can be found here.

Link to join PRSSA as a general member. As always feel free to reach out with any questions to @ugaprssa on Instagram!