NEW YORK, NY – April 19, 2022 – The PRSA Foundation and Mission North announced today that the Mission North The Future Is... Fellowship has been awarded to Howard University undergraduate student Brielle Smith.

This annual fellowship offers a $15,000 scholarship, a $5,000 stipend and a paid one-month internship with Mission North to a BIPOC female-identifying student interested in tech communications, science communications or digital marketing and design, marking the PRSA Foundation's largest financial offering to date for an individual student.

Brielle Smith is an undergraduate Annenberg honors student studying public relations at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Smith aims to use her career in communications to advance change by improving the amount of positive representation and visibility of African- Americans in the media. At Howard University, Smith is the Vice President of the Annenberg Honors Program Student Council. She is also a content writer and topic editor for Her Campus’ Howard University chapter and a Howard University student ambassador. Currently, Smith is conducting research studies analyzing the mental health effects of digital media on minority youth. She has been named a 2021 Patricia Roberts Harris Public Affairs fellow as well as a 2021 CIEE Frederick Douglass Global Fellow where she traveled to Dublin, Ireland in Fall 2021 as a guest of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs. Smith is also a cohort member of the 2022 Howard Entertainment program which is a fellowship opportunity sponsored by Amazon Studios.

"The PRSA Foundation is thrilled to award Brielle with this fellowship, and we are certain that she will be a rising star in the public relations profession," said Aerial Ellis, Ed.D., president of the PRSA Foundation’s Board of Trustees. "We are thankful to Mission North for their vision and partnership as we embrace this challenge to create a more dynamic and inclusive industry. The impact we have made in this effort is poised to change young lives, and this is just the beginning."

"Mission North's Fellowship is designed around two factors that influence power structures and advancement opportunities: BIPOC women are historically excluded at leadership levels, and a lack of internships often eliminates entry-level candidates from the hiring process,” said Tyler Perry, co-CEO of Mission North. “We had an extraordinary pool of applicants, and are delighted to have found Brielle. Her drive and passion provide an incredible foundation for leadership, and we look forward to supporting her with the resources and mentorship to accelerate her career in communications.”

The PRSA Foundation believes in building a more progressive future for the next generation. Plans to create more access and opportunity with long-term, expanded initiatives for students of color and other underrepresented communities will continue throughout 2022.

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ABOUT PRSA FOUNDATION

The PRSA Foundation is an independent, 501 (c) (3) charitable organization that is committed to promoting diversity among public relations professionals and companies so that they can best serve the public good and address the needs of a diverse world. www.prsafoundation.org

ABOUT MISSION NORTH

Mission North is a communications agency for companies shaping our future. Our clients—including Google, LinkedIn, Canva and Toast—are changing how we live and work. They’re fighting climate change, combating disinformation, powering autonomous flight, and envisioning a better world. They turn to Mission North to help tell stories that will make an impact. www.missionnorth.com