KENNESAW, Ga. | Nov 25, 2025

Kennesaw State University student Diya Patel walked into her first Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) meeting in August 2024 with the thought, “let’s see where this goes.” She had no idea how much that one decision would put her in a position to have influence and make change.  

Patel, who is majoring in public relations in The School of Communication and Media at the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences, knows what she wants and how she is going to get it. The third-year senior began dual-enrolling in college classes during her freshman year of high school in Americus, Georgia. Her childhood was a masterclass in juggling activities from classes to clubs and helping at her parents’ convenience store.  

“If I need to fit something into my schedule, I have a whole... planner agenda where it's like, okay, there's some time for free. Okay, let's do this. I have an hour,” Patel said. “You can ask anyone, I’m very go go go go go,” she continued. 

She fell in love with public relations at KSU and decided to give it her all. That included joining the university chapter of PRSSA, a top organization for PR students formed in the late 1960s. Patel was inspired by the welcoming environment she found, and her ambition led her to apply for “every single available position” during the chapter executive board elections a month later. She was selected to become the chapter’s Awards Manager in Fall 2025, Vice President of Events in Spring 2025, and currently serves as the KSU chapter’s Vice President of Public Relations. 

Those accomplishments encouraged her to start betting on herself more. When the opportunity arose to apply for one of PRSSA’s international subcommittees, she jumped at the chance while on a family trip to India.  

It was a winning bet.  

“The subcommittee that I’m proud to be a part of [is] ironically called the PRoud Council subcommittee,” Patel said. “We are making sure that every single student that’s ambitious and anyone that wants to join PRSSA not only feels included but also has resources.” 

These resources include connecting members with mentors, internships, scholarships, and other students pursuing public relations around the globe.  

Patel hopes that the visibility of her new position will inspire others to realize that they can achieve similar things, and she hopes other KSU students who are interested in joining PRSSA will take the chance. She describes joining the organization as “one of the greatest things that I could have done for myself.” She looks forward to joining PRSA, the professional organization for PR practitioners, when she earns her undergraduate degree, plans to pursue a Master of Business Administration in Marketing, and she wants to remain a changemaker each step of the way.  

“The more we include people, the more we try to keep pushing for progress and everything, I think the better it will be,” Patel said. “If we're not pushing for these kinds of things... what are we doing?”

 

- Story by Noelle Lashley