Members of the 2012 UF Bateman Case Study Competition team are one step closer to becoming national champions.
The team was named as national finalists in the Public Relations Student Society of America’s Bateman Case Study Competition this week.
UF’s team will join Loyola University New Orleans and University of Maryland College Park in the finals next month in Minneapolis. The three teams were chosen out of 70 by the Public Relations Society of America.
“Our recognition as a national finalist reiterates the exemplary quality of instruction and commitment to excellence for which this university has become known,” 22-year-old public relations senior and team member Jared Misner said in an email. “I’m honored to represent the entire Gator Nation as we show the country, yet another time, what Gators are made of.”
In September, team members Jerry Bruno, Caroline Lewis, Jared Misner, Roberta Roberts and Jonny Shiver began working on a public relations campaign to raise awareness for childhood obesity and to inform children and their parents about adopting healthier lifestyles.
Roberts, a 21-year-old public relations senior, said the team worked with about a dozen schools and community organizations to implement the campaign, including United Way of North Central Florida, Florida Organic Growers, the UF College of Medicine’s Mobile Outreach Clinic and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Florida.
For Lewis, a 22-year-old public relations senior, one of the most important things about the competition was to make a positive change in Gainesville.
The team helped people feel they didn’t have to change everything about their lifestyles to be healthier, Lewis said. Instead, they could make small changes, such as drinking water in place of soda and walking instead of taking the bus, to see positive results.
“One of the greatest things we did was work with so many people in the community that a lot of people still want to continue working on it,” Lewis said.
Teams will present their campaigns to representatives of United Way Worldwide and General Mills on May 18. First-place winners will receive $2,500 and a trophy.
The Bateman team is recruiting members for next year’s team. Forms and more information can be found at the Public Relations Department in Weimer Hall.
“The competition is something I can talk about for every job interview,” Lewis said. “Not a lot of people can say that they created and implemented a public relations campaign by their senior year.”
