UWG Student Leads Peers Down The Road to PR Success

Jamie Cochran 

bluestone, a student-led Public Relations Firm connects with corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations to provide experiential learning experience for UWG students.

bluestone serves as a practicum course for students. However, the opportunities go beyond the classroom. The experience challenges students to run a real-life public relations firm where on and off-campus projects expand to communication research and planning, and image and brand management. Brooke Yearta, Firm Director at bluestone, leads the experiential lab to gain public relations experience in the professional world while completing her degree.

“As a firm director, I have gained leadership, management and strategic thinking skills,” said Yearta. “This position has provided me with the opportunity to improve my public speaking, writing, editing and designing skills.” 

For students pursuing any degree at UWG, bluestone follows the path of any traditional internship. Students can join bluestone more than once for more real-life experiences and higher-paid positions. This ensures that members will have more opportunities for internships and less training when they enter the workforce.

“This is my second time with bluestone,” said Yearta. “To me, students are much more well-rounded after bluestone. Their communication, writing, editing, and creative skills undergo a lot of growth.” 

Members of bluestone will be creating all the design pieces to promote for Media Day. They will have samples of their work to showcase to potential new members and networking professionals on Media Day. Current members will also network and share their experiences with professionals for internship opportunities.

 “I want Media Day to aid in the exposure of bluestone and everything it can do for students no matter their majors,” said Yearta. “Getting the word out allows for higher enrollment in the class and employment allows for the firm to continue its success upon my graduation from the firm.

”At bluestone, the practicum is not just for PR majors, but for any student wanting to expand in marketing, communications and business management. 

“There are other on-campus paid positions that students can get after completing bluestone because the experience provides them with marketing, communication and business skills,” said Yearta. “We strive for bettering students’ skills and their portfolios before entering the workforce upon graduation.”

Professor Taylor Bryant is the Faculty Advisor for bluestone. She said the experience from the practicum will bridge the gap between in-class learning and the professional experience students will gain when they graduate with their degrees.

“I allow students to fully engage as public relations professionals by working with multiple clients while holding positions and responsibilities that mirror professional public relations firms,” said Bryant. “This strategy fosters creativity, innovation and professional excellence for our students, making them more marketable when transitioning into the industry.”

As a firm directory, Yerta serves as the project manager and coordinates all of the clients that service with bluestone. Her position permits her to be the final editor of all projects before they are finalized by Bryant. She manages all students and paid employees with the help of the communications and creative directors. 

“My main goal is to make communication between students, employees and clients as clear as possible,” said Yearta. “I hope others are able to gain the experience I got through this program.”