Robin M. Urbanski Memorial Scholarship

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This scholarship is designed to honor a student for their mentoring of others and their commitment to public relations.

The Nominee:
*Must be entering their junior or senior year in college in fall 2024
*Must be a major in public relations, journalism, or a related field
*Must be studying to prepare for a career in public relations
*Must possess a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
*Must be attending a four year accredited institution
*Must be in good standing as a member of a PRSSA Chapter

Application Materials:
*Completed online scholarship application.
*One recommendation letter made by someone other than the applicant who can address the ways the applicant has helped others in their career and professional development, and how that individual has demonstrated their potential to be a strong mentor of others in the field of public relations, in a letter of no more than two pages.
*Essay of no more than two pages in English, written by the applicant, explaining the applicant’s commitment to public relations and a career in the industry.
*Current resume.
*A current academic transcript.

About Robin M. Urbanski:
Robin M. Urbanski-Janikowski was a seasoned public relations professional, well respected by national media and her internal clients, for her responsiveness, tenacity and candid approach.

Most recently, Robin was a senior media relations manager, for United Airlines. There, she led all consumer-related media issues, including having a United pilot known for his customer service featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and on all three network morning news shows in the same week.

Prior to joining United, Robin was a media relations manager at Tellabs, a manufacturer of telecommunications network equipment. There, she provided the company business-to-business public relations support.

Robin also worked for McDonalds Corporation and for Ameritech, one of the regional Bell companies that became part of AT&T. She started her public relations career at Edelman, after graduating from University of Illinois.

Robin served as a member of the Board of Directors and as an Assembly Delegate for the Chicago chapter of the PRSA. This scholarship was established in Robin’s memory by her colleagues, family and friends after she passed away in August, 2011, at the age of 41, following a 14-month battle with cancer. Robin is remembered as someone who loved the field of public relations, a profession in which she excelled.

Application Deadline: April 30, 2024