Sophie Cadran, a Journalism–Public Relations senior at Western Washington University, is helping to inspire the next generation of public relations professionals through her leadership of Western’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). 

As president, Cadran played an instrumental role in reviving the chapter after it went on hiatus during the pandemic. In Spring 2024, she and fellow students successfully relaunched PRSSA, reestablishing it as a hub for professional development, networking and experiential learning within Western’s journalism program.

PRSSA is the student version of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), a national organization dedicated to advancing the public relations profession. Western’s chapter connects students with professionals through guest speakers, agency tours and career-focused programming. 

“Her leadership skills are impressive, and she does a great job of setting up her fellow students for success,” said Derek Moscato, a public relations professor and faculty advisor of Western’s PRSSA chapter. “A case in point is last year’s PRSSA field trip to the Kraken Community Iceplex, where Sophie organized a really special event where Western students met with the NHL team’s communications and media relations leadership team, and spent a morning touring the Iceplex facility and hearing first-hand about sport public relations from a professional major league perspective.” 

Cadron said the agency visits are a favorite activity and the club has plans in place to visit a fashion-focused PR firm this year.

One of the chapter’s early goals following its relaunch was to have students attend ICON, which is PRSA’s annual national conference. That goal was realized in October 2024, when Cadran and two other students traveled to Anaheim, California, to the largest public relations gathering in the industry. The following year, Cadran attended ICON in Washington, D.C., which involved some fundraising.

“It was challenging for sure,” Cadran said, describing the fundraising process. Financial support comes from the WWU journalism department and the community fundraising efforts, with additional challenges posed by the East Coast location. Despite studying abroad during Summer 2025, Cadran successfully raised the necessary funds to attend the D.C. conference.

“When everything was falling into place, it was pretty surreal,” Cadran said. 

Each presentation and conversation at ICON inspired Cadran. When she returned to campus, she visited PR classes to share her key takeaways and encouraged students to get involved with PRSSA.

“I didn’t want that trip to stop with me,” Cadran said. “By sharing those insights with students, they can take that first step by getting involved.” 

Equity and access are important to Cadran. While PRSSA memberships typically cost $55 annually, Western’s chapter offers scholarship membership to reduce financial barriers. These scholarships are supported by Firmani + Associates, a Seattle-based public relations agency, and Jacque Coe, a Seattle PR professional. 

“The whole intention is to break down those barriers,” Cadran said. 

Cadran described PRSSA as a “career-launching hub” that provides a vital resource for jumpstarting your career in PR, communications, marketing and business. She encourages students to join, get involved, and jump down the “rabbit hole” to fully explore the organization’s resources and opportunities. 

Looking ahead, Cadrans said the chapter has “some awesome things on the horizon” to foster engaging experiences. For instance, the first meeting of Winter quarter includes a 2026 mood board activity to gauge student interests and shape future chapter meetings.

“These academic-focused clubs can feel intimidating at first,” Cadran said, “but we’re making it ‘fun-fessional.’”

In addition to serving as PRSSA president, Cadran is the editor-in-chief of Klipsun Magazine and has been balancing her academic commitments with her passion for making sourdough bread. After graduating, Cadran hopes to transition from PRSSA to PRSA and work for a PR agency in the Seattle or Portland area. 

Follow PRSSA chapter on Instagram @wwuprssa