Niagara College student honoured by national public relations society

For the second time in three years, a Niagara College Public Relations student has been lauded by the largest PR society in the country.

Brenna McCutcheon, a Newmarket native, was not only the top of her Public Relations graduate certificate program, she was also the recipient of the Canadian Public Relations Society Notified Student Award of Excellence – a national award that recognizes student excellence in the field of PR.

Just two years ago in 2021, Niagara College student Nicolas Mertens, now a Social Media Strategist at Creative Guild in Hamilton, also collected the same honour. Ironically, because of the pandemic, Mertens never set foot on the campus, completing the entire course online.

As for McCutcheon, she admitted she was floundering a little when it originally came to which career direction she was headed towards prior to PR.

“Before I enrolled in the PR program at Niagara College, I was struggling to identify a career path that felt like the right fit,” she said. “Receiving this award reinforces to me that I made the right investment in myself and my education and I’m more confident than ever that I’ve found what I am meant to do.”

McCutcheon was also awarded the Senator Keith Davey Award in March 2023, which is given to the top Niagara College PR student who acts as a mentor to their peers and who has actively cultivated and benefited from the mentorship of faculty and industry partners.

The CPRS Notified Student Award of Excellence was presented on June 6 at the 2023 CPRS National Conference in Whistler. McCutcheon accepted her award in person and thanked her professors and mentors who have supported and encouraged her throughout her journey at Niagara College.

After her graduation from Niagara College on June 15, McCutcheon will return to her internship at Ridley College where she currently works as a Communications Intern.

“Being part of the Niagara College Public Relations program was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” McCutcheon shared.

“I’m so thankful to my professors who have all played a vital role in my development. It is because of them and their dedication to student excellence that I have thrived in this program and am prepared to enter the workforce as a PR professional.”