Capstone Teams Earn Bernays Awards
Two student public relations teams earned top honors in the 2026 Public Relations Society of America San Diego and Imperial Counties Bernays Mark of Excellence Awards.
The Wildlife Madagascar team received the Mark of Excellence for its International Chameleon Day campaign from spring 2026. The Library Foundation SD team received the Mark of Merit for its Banned Books Week campaign from fall 2025.
Both teams completed their work through the School of Journalism & Media Studies’ PR capstone course with Dr. Kaye Sweetser, APR, Fellow PRSA as their professor. These capstone projects were in partnership with the Glen M. Broom Center for Professional Development in Public Relations.
The awards recognize more than strong student work. They show what happens when students work with real clients, address real community needs and deliver campaigns that produce measurable results.
Wildlife Madagascar Team Earns Mark of Excellence
The Wildlife Madagascar team developed a campaign to increase awareness and engagement for International Chameleon Day in spring 2026. The organization works to protect biodiversity and forest ecosystems across Madagascar, where more than 90% of wildlife is endemic and only about 7% of the country’s original forest remains.
The team created a coordinated campaign that included media outreach, social media content, a new visual identity and a chameleon mascot. They made partner toolkits for zoos, schools and environmental organizations.
The campaign increased:
- Social media engagement by 226%
- Instagram likes by 175%
- Instagram comments by 1,350%
- Instagram shares increased by 1,400%
The PR team distributed customized materials to 15 zoos, 28 schools and 20 environmental organizations. A media pitch secured coverage in The Revelator, an independent publication focused on conservation and climate change.
>> Read more about the Wildlife Madagascar campaign.
Cambell Kirk, who worked on the Wildlife Madagascar team and now works at NST PR, said the award reflects the team’s commitment to producing work that served a real purpose.
“This campaign challenged us to think beyond producing content and focus on creating meaningful action for a client," said Kirk. "We had to understand the issue, identify the audiences who could help advance the mission and build tools that people could use. Receiving the Mark of Excellence showed us that the work we created as students could meet professional standards and make a measurable difference.”
The spring 2026 Wildlife Madagascar PR team included: Amanda Gonzalez, Mieke Turangan, Cameron Dale, MJ Destro, Madeline Hogenauer, Cambell Kirk, Roxi White and Madison Wolden. Kirk accepted the award on behalf of the team.
Library Foundation SD Team Earns Mark of Merit
The Library Foundation SD team created a campaign for Banned Books Week 2025 in the fall 2025 semester. They focused on increasing knowledge among San Diego young adults about book bans by encouraging support of intellectual freedom.
The team placed 74 banned or challenged titles in Little Free Libraries across 11 San Diego neighborhoods. Marked with a sticker that proclaimed "someone doesn't want you to read this," each book included a QR code linking readers to a digital advocacy toolkit. The microsite included information about censorship and resources for contacting elected officials and school districts.
The PR team hosted an educational booth at the La Jolla Open Aire Farmers Market, where they reached 152 visitors. Their media outreach earned coverage from ABC 10 News San Diego, The San Diego Sun, Times of San Diego and The Daily Aztec.
>> Read more about the Library Foundation SD campaign.
The campaign generated substantial digital results:
- Instagram likes increased by 412%
- Instagram comments increased by 1,200%
- TikTok likes increased by 677%
- TikTok saves increased by 1,067%
Brigitte Morgan, who worked on the Library Foundation SD team and now works at NST PR, said the project gave students the opportunity to see their work reach beyond campus.
“The Library Foundation SD campaign taught us how much responsibility comes with representing a real organization and a cause that matters,” said Morgan. “We had to move quickly, make thoughtful decisions and create work that inspired people to take action. Winning a Bernays Award is an incredible way to begin our careers because it reminds us that the work we did as students already had a place in the professional world.”
The fall 2025 Library Foundation SD team included: Evelyn Dowd, Eryn Carmon, Allie Amorde, Maya Anderson, Julia Campbell, Lulana Harrison, Sofia Legreca, Jennifer Luu, Elyssa Mclendon, Brigitte Morgan and Ian Peyghambary. Morgan accepted the award on behalf of the team.
Community-Based Service Learning Prepares Award Winning Practitioners
Sweetser said the awards demonstrate the value of community-based service learning in the JMS PR capstone.
“Community-based service learning gives students the opportunity to learn PR by doing the work for organizations whose missions matter," said Sweetser. "They listen to clients, study communities, make strategic decisions and create campaigns with real consequences. The Wildlife Madagascar and Library Foundation SD teams did not simply complete classroom assignments. They delivered professional work that advanced important causes. These graduates are beginning their careers as award-winning practitioners. That is exactly what this capstone is designed to make possible.”
The two campaigns build on the Broom Center’s commitment to preparing students for the profession through meaningful experience. Students worked with clients, conducted research, developed strategy, created content, pitched media and evaluated results.
Their Bernays recognition confirms that the work stood up beyond the classroom.
These graduates began their careers with more than a degree. They began as PR practitioners who had already produced award winning campaigns for real organizations.
