Rachel Pipan, senior in public relations, recently won the Daniel J. Edelman PRSSA Award, an award the Edelman PR firm awards to outstanding juniors and seniors involved in the Public Relations Student Society of America.
The award comes with a three-month paid internship with one of their offices.
According to Pipan, she has been working toward this since her freshman year of college and was excited when she got the call about the award.
“I had a phone interview earlier that week with the head of recruitment and then I was told I would be getting a call from John Edelman, the son of Daniel Edelman, and the director of the global citizenship department, and I thought he was going to tell me I didn’t get it,” Pipan said. “He told me I won, and I wish I could have recorded that conversation because he was really nice and spent maybe 10 minutes with me talking about my portfolio. It really meant a lot, and, when we got off the phone, I thought, ‘Is this real? Am I awake?’”
Not only did Pipan say she was she excited, but her best friend was as well.
Katie Goebel, senior in microbial biology, said she was excited for Pipan and proud of her.
“I didn’t know she applied, but, when I found out she won an award, I wasn’t surprised because she is smart and driven,” Goebel said.
Another friend of Pipan’s said she was excited, but not surprised.
“I was very excited for her,” said Victoria Webb, senior in public relations. “I can’t think of anyone else who better deserves it than Rachel.”
Webb also said she and Pipan will be living in Washington, D.C. together, so she is more excited than anyone and glad Pipan applied because she has been working hard from the beginning.
Pipan said she has decided to work for the Edelman office in Washington, D.C. this summer in their public policy public relations division. She will also be getting her Master’s Degree in strategic communications from America University in Washington, D.C.
Pipan said the internship will give her a chance to get to Washington D.C. early and feel out the city. She said it also gives her a chance to make connections.
Pipan said she wants to continue interning for Edelman and then get a job with them after she graduates. She said, even if she doesn’t get a job with Edelman, she knows it will place her really well for her future.
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