March 13, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood
The Public Relations Student Society of America at Illinois is back after a four-year hiatus, thanks to a group of determined students who revitalized the local chapter.
Jordan Butler, a senior in journalism and president of PRSSA at Illinois, said a call to action in a College of Media newsletter last spring led to a group chat amongst students which ultimately became the impetus for the official return of PRSSA at Illinois in Fall 2024. The local chapter had been inactive since 2019.
“Over [this past] summer, a couple of [us] took on [the executive board positions] and then this semester and last semester we started to really build out more. We’ve been working to gain more members and to let people know who we are, and [organizing] different activities and events across campus,” Butler said.
The Illinois chapter of PRSSA was originally formed in 2012 to offer students the chance to work with real clients, put together campaigns, and network with industry professionals.
The goal today remains similar, says Butler, who noted the group’s emphasis on helping students learn how to communicate effectively.
I think people have this very rigorous idea of what PRSSA is in the sense of [it being] very structured or business-like, but it’s so much more than that. And there’s so much that falls under the realm of PR that I think you don’t know it until you do it, until you try it, until you talk about it.
Jordan Butler
President of PRSSA
However, Butler also hopes its members “have found different things that [are] fun or interesting through public relations that perhaps they weren’t maybe as interested in when they walked through our doors or started with us.”
Butler can attest to how PRSSA at Illinois has helped her improve her communications skills. As an introverted person, Butler admits she doesn’t always feel comfortable reaching out to others first or speaking to a crowd, but her experience as president has allowed her to hone that skill.
“I’ve really learned how to kind of put myself out there in those positions and network with people and do a lot of public speaking, even if it makes me really nervous,” said Butler, who also works as a communications and social media intern at Research Park, a technology hub for corporate research, development operations, and startup companies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Currently, PRSSA at Illinois includes a small membership of less than 15 students, but Butler hopes to see that number go up in time.
“We’re just trying to get our names out there as much as possible but also focus on what our members are really interested in doing and what they’re really interested in learning about,” she said.
PRSSA at Illinois, which is open to all majors, holds meetings every Wednesday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in 31 Gregory Hall.
In response to student interest, a public speaking workshop will be held soon.
Butler encourages any students interested in PRSSA to join a workshop or a meeting to talk to current members and ask questions.
“I think people have this very rigorous idea of what PRSSA is in the sense of [it being] very structured or business-like, but it’s so much more than that. And there’s so much that falls under the realm of PR that I think you don’t know it until you do it, until you try it, until you talk about it,” she said.
For more information about PRSSA at Illinois, check out their Instagram page @illinoisprssa.
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