Old Dominion University’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Chapter headed north to Pittsburgh, PA this spring break to take their education in public relations to the next level.

ODU PRSSA is a student-run chapter of PRSSA National at ODU that focuses on providing educational opportunities to students seeking a career in public relations and communications across various industries. Students in ODU PRSSA have the opportunity to tour local agencies and firms, hear from guest speakers, connect with members of the Hampton Roads PRSA chapter through their events and more.

Education beyond the classroom through internships, work-based learning, educational trips and other extracurriculars have become a vital part of student life and are being more frequently required in college curriculum to provide opportunities to learn that are not available in a traditional classroom setting. These opportunities give students the chance to engage and work with professionals who serve as invaluable connections post-grad while also having a hands-on view of their field of study in current time.

ODU PRSSA takes an annual trip each spring, in past years visiting New York City, Atlanta and Philadelphia, to make connections, tour PR firms and agencies and learn more about a city they may practice in one day. This year, four ODU PRSSA students and their faculty advisor visited Pittsburgh, PA, staying in the heart of Pittsburgh to experience the city culture and the vast career opportunities for public relations students.

The three-day trip consisted of an overview of the city, including a Carnegie-themed escape room, tour of the Andy Warhol Museum, trip on the Duquesne Incline, to learn the history of Pittsburgh and a sit-down meeting with the President of Markowitz Communications, Saul Markowitz, and his son, Brandon Markowitz, popularly known as @itsbrandonmax on TikTok, to hear Saul’s journey to forming an agency and some of his notable PR successes.

“Learning isn’t confined to the classroom even though we try to frame and contextualize knowledge within four walls,” said Steffon Campbell, faculty advisor for ODU PRSSA. “That’s why I’m always happy to create real-life learning experiences through the annual PRSSA Spring Trips. This year we went to Pittsburgh and some of the things the students learnt in one weekend I don’t think I could have effectively taught in the same time frame. Even more important were the valuable connections they made with some of the move and shakers in PR and social media in the Steel City.”

“Aside from meeting with Markowitz Communications, we also got the opportunity to explore the city which I think is important as well because when you’re in college, I think you’re really trying to figure out what you want to do in life and having the opportunity to go out and experience different cities gives you the opportunity to see more of the world and grow,” said Olivia Lawrence, a junior at ODU, who attended the spring trip to Pittsburgh.

“I see these trips as harbingers of the successful futures that these students will lead and I’m just happy to facilitate the beginning of their journeys in some way,” said Campbell. In addition to the annual spring trip, ODU PRSSA members also have the opportunity to attend the International Conference (ICON) hosted by PRSA and PRSSA each fall, most recently held in Anaheim, California, annual district conferences held by other PRSSA chapters and more.