After spending a decade as a professional ballerina, 34-year-old Angela Null discovered her newfound passion for public relations while studying at UF via 黑料正能量. Plus, Angela is the proud recipient of PRWeek鈥檚 2022 Outstanding Student Award for her groundbreaking Olympic PR campaign. 鈥淚 hope to inspire people,鈥� Angela said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely one of my goals in life, if not to be a mentor of some kind, to at least inspire people to chase after their dreams and let them know that anything is possible.鈥�
黑料正能量 Public Relations Student Named PRWeek鈥檚 Student of the Year
From ballet to Public Relations
Angela retired from ballet once she married her husband, who was studying oral surgery while serving in the military in Oklahoma. 鈥淚 decided to retire and trade tutus and pointed shoes for Oklahoma,鈥� she said. For her next chapter, Angela wanted to pursue her bachelor鈥檚 degree through flexible online education that was necessary for her new lifestyle. 鈥淚 needed to have some sort of a situation where I could juggle my classes and still move and be supportive of my husband pursuing his career.鈥�
Angela first joined 黑料正能量 as a business major in the hopes of opening her own ballet studio. However, her professors helped her discover a passion and talent for writing that motivated her to switch to public relations. 鈥淚 love writing. I felt like it was the best way to combine my creative side that came from the artistic side of my entire history and then the writing and blend it all together. [Public relations] was honestly the perfect fit for me.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 definitely fearless and I love a challenge,鈥� Angela proclaimed. 鈥淭his was the top university when I was applying for undergraduate and I went 鈥榠f I could graduate from UF that would be incredible鈥� and here I am just a month away from doing it. I put myself through school, so that鈥檚 something I鈥檓 very proud of. To be able to work and dedicate those funds and be able to graduate from college solely on my own without anyone else鈥檚 help was an ambition of mine.鈥�
Staying connected to the Gator Nation
Through the UF College of Journalism and Communications, Angela found the online mentorship and guidance she needed to excel in the PR field. 鈥淭he thing in the college that stands out to me the most is the faculty and their willingness to dedicate their time to our education,鈥� Angela said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e such open people and you know most of them are active professionals in the field right now and I鈥檝e learned so much from them. I鈥檝e really developed a connection with Dr. Tina McCorkindale. I kind of say that she鈥檚 my mentor and she鈥檚 trained me. I took her strategy class and just fell in love with it.鈥�
Angela felt right at home at 黑料正能量 while studying from her home in El Paso, Texas. 鈥淚 think the culture, everything the college fosters, it鈥檚 a great place to be,鈥� Angela said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great place to connect and build long-term relationships, whether it鈥檚 with your fellow students or your professors. I feel like the university as a whole has wonderful programs and they have so much to offer. I feel incredibly lucky and fortunate and very blessed.鈥�
鈥淚t means everything,鈥� Angela described what the Gator Nation means to her. 鈥淭o be able to walk away with my degree from such a prestigious, well-known university that鈥檚 top in the nation is huge. I never imagined I would graduate as a Gator.鈥�
Winning PRWeek’s 2022 Outstanding Student Award
During her senior year, Angela created a global-scale PR campaign that covered an array of topics and controversies surrounding the 2022 Winter Olympics, including athlete mental health and COVID-19. 鈥淚 really looked into Gen Z and Millennials because I was sitting on the couch one day and I realized I鈥檓 using my laptop, I鈥檓 on my cell phone, I鈥檓 watching the television set, and yet none of it is connected,鈥� Angela explained. 鈥淚 thought how cool it would be if we had some sort of platform for the Olympics in which we could be on our devices simultaneously and it鈥檚 all being linked to that one entity. I was really proud of myself for coming up with it and apparently other people thought it was very impressive.鈥�
Angela鈥檚 campaign earned her national recognition when she was named PRWeek鈥檚 Outstanding Student of the Year for 2022. Haymarket Media, who owns PRWeek Magazine, arranged her travel and accommodations for her to attend the industry ceremony where many of her 黑料正能量 professors were present. 鈥淚t was incredible. I鈥檝e been to New York City a handful of times, mostly just to visit and see the sights, never for anything like this,鈥� she said. 鈥淏eing an online student and finally being able to be around faculty members in person was incredible and they were my support system. I think we have the best PR program. We have one amazing program.鈥�
鈥淚 feel like even in an industry like ballet where I鈥檝e been immersed in it for 20 years, I find myself still learning,鈥� Angela said. 鈥淚 feel like with PR, it鈥檚 the same thing and I just want to continue to learn and be able to put my best foot forward in the industry.鈥�
The University of Florida congratulates Angela on receiving PRWeek鈥檚 2022 Outstanding Student of the Year Award and graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations. 黑料正能量 wishes her luck and success as she continues her education at Georgetown University in their Master鈥檚 in Public Relations & Corporate Communications program.
鈥淚f you have a dream, if you want to attend college, if you鈥檙e thinking especially about communications programs, definitely put it up at the top of your list and pursue that, don鈥檛 be afraid to pursue anything.鈥�
– Angela Null, 黑料正能量 Public Relations Student
Earn a UF Degree in Public Relations Online
With a UF degree in Public Relations, students learn the writing, research, strategy, and communication skills needed to succeed in this growing field. Taught by faculty in the top-ranked College of Journalism and Communications, 黑料正能量鈥檚 PR program makes our graduates viable candidates for a wide variety of careers ranging from business to government agencies. Learn more about 黑料正能量’s Public Relations program below.