Kean public relations students take their campaign from the classroom to the boardroom

November 7, 2019

By Tiye Bracy | Published by November 7, 2019

Edwin Smiley, Michael Moran, and Shawn Dominguez, students from Professor Sullivan’s Public Relations Campaigns course, win over their client, The Kean Foundation. The Spring semester three-student team was given the opportunity to pitch their campaign, “The Future Begins Now,” at the Kean Foundation monthly meeting in August this year. Then once again, to The Kean Foundation board at the beginning of October. In November, the student team will be pitching their campaign during the President’s Cabinet Meeting.

“Kean students presenting the opportunities that their campaign offers”
Photo courtesy of Professor Jeremiah Sullivan

“The meeting in August was attended by the entire Foundation staff,” said Alissa DiScala, director of Annual Giving. “At that point, it was the second time I saw the presentation, still blown away with their presentation and findings.”

In addition, the students were invited by their client to the YWCA of Union County’s Empowerment and Domestic Violence Awareness Reception. The evening gave the team time to discuss their campaign directly with President Dawood Farahi and other attendees.

“Additionally, I’m very happy to share that alum Shawn Dominguez, a member of the student team behind the campaign, was offered and accepted a job with the Foundation stemming from the project,” Professor Jeremiah Sullivan said.

“Kean students were invited to discuss their campaign project with President Farahi at the YWCA Union County’s Event”
Photo courtesy of Professor Jeremiah Sullivan

Sullivan explained the original assignment given to his students.

“While all Communication majors take research seminar, this class acts as a capstone experience for the School of CMJ’s PR majors,” said Sullivan. “As it pairs them with real-world clients and challenges them to craft a strategic plan that uses PR to help solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity.”

Kean professors want students to learn and gain hands-on experience from their curriculum.

"PR students presents their campaign to the board" Photo courtesy of Professor Jeremiah Sullivan

“PR students present their campaign to the board” Photo courtesy of Professor Jeremiah Sullivan

“We really look for our students to not only show a senior-level understanding of the theories, practices, and tools they’ve learned about during their time studying within the program,” Sullivan adds. “But also the confidence to provide counsel to their clients and the ability to strategically plan on their behalf.”

“The Future Begins Now” campaign was successful. As a result, the winning team received recognition from the Kean Foundation.

“I think as their client will attest, it was clear early on that the students had the signs of a strong campaign,” Sullivan said.

As DiScala expressed, this campaign helped the Kean Foundation by giving the staff “valuable insight on how we are preserved by the student population as well as awareness with regards to charitable contributions from our students to Kean.”

Still, the campaign is implemented by the Kean Foundation staff.

“PR students successfully pitching their campaign at a board meeting”
Photo courtesy of Professor Jeremiah Sullivan

“While I was happy with how their plan turned out, the future of it still remains to be seen,” Sullivan said.

However, DiScala remains optimistic towards the project and even had followed up conversations with the students.

“It was so effective that we have had some follow up conversations with the team of students who worked on the project,” said DiScala. “We are looking into some of their suggestions on ways we can become more visible to the students.”

“PR students outside of the William F. Loehning Conference Center”
Photo courtesy of Professor Jeremiah Sullivan

These students took a class assignment and were able to turn it into a life-changing plan that their client, the Kean Foundation, continues to utilize today.

“Edwin, Michael, and Shawn are the reason we, the Kean University Foundation, are working harder than ever to raise the philanthropic funds to create scholarships so more students at Kean can have a chance to gain the world-class education each student deserves,” DiScala states.