Representing Oklahoma Christian University, Eagle PR ranked No. 13 in a national Public relations competition held last fall.
The student-run public Relations organization was part of the Up to Us competition, where students from more than 100 colleges across the U.S created a campaign to find solutions to the national debt.
Alumnus Christian Franklin led the Oklahoma Christian University team, which also consisted of current students Elizabeth Killough, Bayley Eckhart and Haleigh Evans. Assistant Professor of Communications Josh Watson assisted the team.
The Eagle PR students adopted the strategy of trying to get the most engagement of their colleagues.
“We had two state representatives from Oklahoma government come to big chapel and tell students this is an important issue,” Watson said. “That was kind of how we wrapped it up: speakers, individual events on campus, the social media campaign and the competition among clubs.”
Because of the great result, one team member was granted an opportunity to fly to Washington D.C. and learn even more about the national debt problem. None of the students were able to attend the event at the time, so Watson went himself.
“We went to this fiscal summit which was at the Newseum,” Watson said. “Elected officials, all kinds of senators and congressmen were there. The president’s chief of staff spoke, and Oklahoma Christian University was recognized. We got to stand up, they said our name, people clapped. That was kind of neat for Oklahoma Christian University.”
Killough said she feels blessed for having such experiences through Eagle PR. She said the competition allowed the students to have a real-life experience before graduating from college.
“I feel that the firm has given me lots of tools to go out into the real world and be able to use those experiences to get a job,” Killough said. “The competition was also a great opportunity to work on a campaign that had a national cause and purpose.”
Evans agreed, saying the campaign will have a great impact on her future professional career.
“I liked the opportunity to help address such a big issue,” Evans said. “Just knowing I could have made a dent in the issue is rewarding. I was extremely grateful. Grateful to be a part of such a hardworking team, and grateful to be at a university that gives me the opportunities that it does.”
According to Killough, the students’ participation was her favorite part in the entire campaign.
“I also appreciated how many students were so willing to learn about the national debt problem, and how they adamantly wanted to help work towards a solution in whatever way they could,” Killough said.
According to Watson, the team had a lot of dedication and hard work, doing their best at all times. He said it is not the first time they have had good results in competitions. Oklahoma Christian University, along with Eagle PR, have had a good record since they began competing.
“We have done it five times, and we have done pretty well on most of those,” Watson said. “The first national competition we did was for Student Veterans of America. It was really great to have a case for veterans that were going back to college and trying to get their degrees.”
For Watson, not only is the campaign important for the students, but being part of Eagle PR will bring great experience in their future.
“The best part is that taking things from the classroom, they are implementing them outside of class,” Watson said. “They are doing the work themselves. We are working for real clients.” “When you are running campaigns before you graduate, you are more prepared for job interviews, more prepared for jobs, and the other part is just taking a real client and trying to figure it out to solve the problems and achieve the goals they want.”
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