Ashley Bearden, a junior public relations major at Belmont University, has been selected as the first recipient of the AT&T Real Yellow Pages Scholarship in Public Relations. AT&T Advertising and Publishing is supporting Belmont University’s public relations program with a five-year scholarship commitment, which will be awarded each year to a deserving student who has demonstrated leadership, communications skills and scholarship in public relations. This scholarship is the first the company has awarded at Belmont University.
“I am thrilled to have received this scholarship,” Bearden said. “It’s such an honor for my work in and outside of the classroom to be recognized by my professors and AT&T. My family and I are very grateful to AT&T Advertising & Publishing for providing this scholarship to help fund my education at Belmont.”
A $2,500 prize will be presented annually in the spring, to the public relations major who demonstrates academic excellence, campus service, professionalism and is able to communicate effectively a response in essay form to the question, “What role should public relations play in corporate social responsibility?”
“Each year, the scholarship will recognize and reward a student who has demonstrated extraordinary communications skills in the area of public relations,” Chris Andrews, AT&T Real Yellow Pages division manager, said. “AT&T Advertising and Publishing is committed to supporting initiatives that provide students with the skills and knowledge they need in order to succeed in an ever-expanding global economy.”
The public relations program is in its third year at Belmont University and has more than 60 students. This will be the second scholarship awarded to students in that major.
“We now have two important corporations, Bridgestone Americas and AT&T, rewarding and encouraging the best communicators on Belmont University’s campus with scholarships,” Larry Hall, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said. “They are a great endorsement of Belmont’s program and a tremendous support for these students as they prepare for careers that will allow them to make important contributions to the communities in which they will live.”
