By: Nick Barnes

Each year the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) holds a national conference for PR students to learn about public relations and how to better operate their firms and chapters. This year, nine students from the Rulon L. Bradley Public Relations Agency and professional advisor Jeff DuBois traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the conference.

The PRSSA national conference was a huge success for Brigham Young University as a whole, as well as all of the students from the Bradley Agency who attended. They came away with a better understanding of public relations and how to provide quality results for Bradley Agency clients, but the conference wasn’t all that the students did while traveling abroad.

While in Washington, D.C. the students had the opportunity to visit various interesting sites, but one opportunity presented itself in particular. Susan Walton, Associate Chair of the Department of Communications kept in contact with Jennifer Olson, an alumnus of Brigham Young University who is currently the public liaison for the Bureau of Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. Walton contacted Olson to set up a behind-the-scenes tour. Not everything was visible to the student visitors, of course, but it was still better than a regular tour.

While touring the facility, students learned about the functions of the U.S. State Department. From blogging to press conferences, Olson is responsible for all the outgoing information from the State Department to the public. Her role as public liaison is critical not only to public understanding but also to national security. It is imperative that no confidential information enters the public view.

Along with learning about the purpose of the State Department, students were also able to brush shoulders with those working there. Olson took the students to the lunchroom, where they sat down to eat and visited with State Department workers.

When lunch was finished, there was a treat in store and it wasn’t dessert. Those present attended a press briefing at the State Department. The briefing was filled with reporters from media outlets all over the world.

“The reporters were totally cutthroat and ruthless with their questions,” said Haley Christensen, a junior from Bakersfield, Calif. “The press secretary had to know everything about current world events, from potential bomb threats in France to civilian visitations in North Korea.”

Visiting the U.S. Department of State was a unique experience for the students from Brigham Young University. As students go on to graduate and enter the world, the experiences they had at the national conference will provide direction for their future careers.

“I enjoyed visiting the State Department because it helped me get a glimpse into what it’s like to do government PR,” said Lauren Lytle, a senior from Sammamish, Wash. “We got to watch a daily press briefing and I was impressed to see how the press secretary handled questions and disseminated the U.S. State Department’s messages to reporters.”

An undoubtedly incredible experience for all those who visited, credit for the success of the event goes to the great network of alumni from Brigham Young University.