Andrea Gils, a Southeast Missouri State University senior and a native of Montevideo, Uruguay, was awarded $5,000 for the Marcia Silverman Minority Student Award at the Public Relations Student Society of America Conference last week in Washington, D.C.

The conference is an opportunity for students in the field of public relations and communications to create contacts with professionals already in the industry.

Gils is currently a public relations intern for the Office of International Education and Services at Southeast, a newsletter editor for the communications at PRSA in St. Louis, and a brand ambassador for Drago Troop.

Gils, a former Arrow editor, also works with the study abroad program at Southeast, which provides participants with the opportunity to learn a new language, help to use the acquired language and to make sure the students retain the language by consistently using it.

"I feel incredibly honored, and I am so thankful to PRSA, PRSSA and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide for this recognition," Gils said. "Obviously this award is an incredible financial support for one's education, but I think there's more to it. The fact that PRSSA and agencies have scholarships devoted to supporting minority students speaks millions about the need to support those students who may not have the same opportunities as the average white male, or in the case of our industry, white female has."

"It's going to sound cheesy but every person I've worked with, whether it was a professor, a classmate, a reporter from the Arrow or a member of the student-run firm, they all have taught me at least one thing new about the industry or about myself, and to all of those I would like to say thank you," Gils said.

The PRSSA National Conference is an annual event. For any additional information about PRSSA or its scholarship opportunities visit the organization's website at www.prssa.org.