2012 Ruth Hammond Scholarship Winner Announced

TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2012 /CNW/ - Hillary MacEachern, Antigonish, is the 2012 winner of the $1,000 Ruth Hammond Scholarship, awarded annually to a public relations student in his/her final year of the Bachelor of Public Relations program at Mount Saint Vincent University (The Mount), Halifax. MacEachern has been on Dean's list since 2009 and holds an International Baccalaureate Certificate with recognition in French.

She has served as advertising chairperson for A Day of Play Charity Day, a fundraiser to support the university's day care; and was advertising chairperson for Refugee Awareness Day to support student refugees who attend The Mount.

MacEachern's first public relations internship was with S&D Smith Central Supplies, Antigonish, where she created promotional materials targeted to residents of the town and designed advertising in addition to writing for the human resources department.  In her second internship, she served as Communications Co-ordinator, Nova Scotia Department of Energy, Halifax.  There she created marketing materials for trade shows and conferences, led the Pengrowth-Nova Scotia scholarship program and was responsible for web site maintenance and updates.

"Hillary applied strong critical thinking as well as sound knowledge of business and marketing communications concepts that benefitted many projects at the Department," said Karen Peknik, Marketing Specialist, Nova Scotia Department of Energy.  "From the very beginning, Hillary demonstrated her desire to perform at a high level."

In addition to her academic and professional work, MacEachern has been a Festival Co-ordinator for the Antigonish Highland Games creating the 40-page games souvenir magazine and working with local radio and print media to promote the event.

Recognized for its academic excellence and creative learning approaches, The Mount offers bachelor's degrees in arts and science, education and professional studies in addition to a number of graduate degrees and a variety of certificates and diplomas. The university community includes 4,000 women and men from across Canada as well as students from more than 60 countries, who study on campus or through distance learning programs.

The Ruth Hammond Scholarship was established by Ms. Hammond's friends and colleagues in the Canadian Public Relations Society (Toronto) to honour her lifetime commitment to public relations education in Canada.  The Scholarship, awarded by Mount Saint Vincent University, acknowledges a student who has completed at least two public relations co-op work terms and who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, leadership abilities and dedication to establishing a career in the public relations field.

The Ruth Hammond Scholarship funds are managed by the Communications + Public Relations Foundation. The Foundation promotes the advancement of communications and public relations as vital functions in society, is dedicated to the public interest, and is committed to increasing public knowledge and awareness of the role of communications and public relations in daily life. The Foundation accepts individual and corporate contributions towards research and educational initiatives nationwide.

For more information about the Foundation and its public relations educational initiatives, contact Barbara Sheffield, Executive Director, Communications + Public Relations Foundation, Suite 1515, 73 Widdicombe Hill Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, M9R 4B3, or phone [phone], or e-mail [e-mail].

SOURCE: Communications + Public Relations Foundation

For further information:

Barbara Sheffield, APR, FCPRS
[phone]
[e-mail]

Joel Levesque, APR, FCPRS
[phone]
[e-mail]