Richmond PR Foundation Awards Scholarships to VCU Students

Two students enrolled in the Robertson School of Media & Culture at Virginia Commonwealth University were the recipients of the Richmond PR Foundation’s two annual scholarships.

The Richmond Public Relations Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable arm of PRSA Richmond, annually administers the David P. Hurdle and William Dietrick Memorial Scholarships in honor of two esteemed former chapter members. The scholarship recipients are selected by the foundation’s board of directors. Each scholarship is for $1,000.

Jasmyn Snipes, a VCU senior was the recipient of the 2016 David P. Hurdle Memorial Scholarship, and Kristina Hipolito, a junior in VCU’s Honors College is the recipient of the 2016 William Dietrick Memorial Scholarship.

To be eligible for the scholarships, applicants must be juniors or seniors at select Virginia colleges and universities – Longwood University, Randolph Macon College, the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University or Virginia Union University – who are planning to pursue a career in public relations. Applicants do not need to be public relations majors but should be planning to work in public relations upon graduation.

Snipes currently works as an intern at The Hodges Partnership. She previously served as a special events intern for JDRF of Central Virginia and as a development intern with ForKids Non-Profit Organization in Norfolk.

“Pursuing a career in public relations became a goal of mine when I came to the realization that my interests and professional skills heavily revolved around communications. As a person who enjoys problem solving, strategic planning and writing, it became apparent that public relations was the perfect field for me,” Snipes wrote in her application essay.

Hipolito currently serves as a campus ambassador for InternQueen.com and previously served as a social media intern for the VCU Robertson School of Media and Culture. She also was a VCU Student Orientation Leader and events intern for MorLina Events in Chesapeake.

“In the future, I hope to work as a skilled public relations practitioner in the travel/lifestyle industry. PR professionals in this field contribute to an increased improvement of economic health as traveling supports both local and global trade, creates revenue for infrastructure projects and allows for the sustainability of developing countries,” Hipolito wrote in her essay.

Learn more about the the Richmond Public Relations Foundation scholarship program.

Photo credit: Steven Casanova Photography