The Delaware Area Career Center (DACC) brought home statewide honors at the Ohio School Public Relations Association (OHSPRA) annual conference, held April 23–24 at the Renaissance Polaris Hotel in Columbus.
In a first for the district, DACC's Public Relations team welcomed two student interns, Kate Zavaski and Lucina Clark, to the professional conference, where they learned alongside communications experts from across Ohio. Sessions covered crisis communication, leadership, storytelling, and strategic communications, giving the students a real-world look at the profession in action.
The conference also included OHSPRA's competitive awards program, which recognizes excellence in school communications statewide. DACC's PR team, Alicia Mowry, Grant Pepper, and Mariellen Murray, earned two Mark of Distinction awards for the district's "We Are" video and DACC's enrollment brochure.
Kate and Lucina each took home awards of their own. Both students earned Marks of Distinction for photographs they captured earlier in the year, work that was submitted to the OHSPRA awards program as a surprise, and as a way for the PR team to honor their dedication to the internship program.
"Awards like these speak volumes about Kate and Lucina's talent and professionalism," said Alicia Mowry, Director of Public Information. "To see their work recognized alongside seasoned professionals is incredibly exciting. These are accomplishments they can add to their resumes, and our team couldn't be prouder of them."
The DACC Public Relations Internship program was created to give students hands-on experience in the communications field, including photography and videography, graphic design, social media, event planning, and writing. Earning statewide recognition alongside working professionals gave the interns tangible credentials and a glimpse of what a future in communications can look like.
Congratulations to Kate, Lucina, and the DACC Public Relations team on this well-deserved recognition.