Not Just Another Pony Ride: PR Capstone Students Cultivate Awareness Campaign for Horsemanship Center

West Virginia University P.I. Reed School of Journalism public relations students are putting their skills to work this semester raising awareness for a nonprofit therapeutic horsemanship center.
 
As the final project of their college career, the students gain experience in healthcare public relations through their capstone course.
 
Under the direction of School of Journalism adjunct instructor Chuck Harman, the students have created their own agency, Better Tomorrow Public Relations, to assist On Eagles’ Wings Therapeutic Horsemanship Center, located in Fairmont, W.Va.
 
By utilizing social media, media relations and brand development strategies, the group is undertaking a full public relations campaign. Before the start of the campaign, On Eagles’ Wings did not attempt much community outreach. Better Tomorrow Public Relations has launched the organization’s Web site, Twitter and Facebook page.
 
“We have developed a campaign that provides our client with necessary community awareness, and in return, we are gaining real world experience,” Lynne Stabler, public relations senior, said. “Better Tomorrow PR is a fantastic stepping stone for my future career because it gave me experience in teamwork, agency and client work and other skills I need to be a public relations professional.”
 

The students work directly with Dr. Carol Petitto, the executive director of On Eagles’ Wings and a School of Journalism alumna. The organization serves adults and children with physical, cognitive, emotional and social disabilities and challenges in north central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania, providing therapeutic riding lessons, hippotherapy and other equine-assisted therapies and activities. The therapies allow people with disabilities to work through tasks that they thought were not possible, and it enhances their daily lives.
 
“Working with Carol and On Eagles’ Wings the past few month, I can really tell we are making a difference within the organization and the community,” Natalie Doerr said. “The work that Carol and her volunteers are doing for people with disabilities is amazing and life-changing.”
 
“I am very grateful for the work the students are doing for On Eagles’ Wings. This was the year we really wanted to begin reaching out to the community and let people know who we are, so everything really seemed to fall into place for us with Better Tomorrow PR,” Dr. Petitto said. “The timing has been perfect. Our needs totally coincided with the work of the class. It is really helping the awareness of our services.”
 
The School of Journalism offers Harman’s alternative capstone course each semester for public relations students interested in working in the healthcare industry. Students are assigned a client in the healthcare industry and must plan and execute a public relations campaign throughout the semester.
 
Better Tomorrow Public Relations consists of School of Journalism public relations seniors Leigh Ashby of Summersville, W.Va; Natalie Doerr of Pittsburgh, PA; Blair Dowler of Parkersburg, W.Va.; Breanne Hill of Morgantown, W.Va.; Taylor Scarnato of Harrisburg, PA; Lauren Sobon of Ellicott City, MD and Lynne Stabler of Abbottstown, PA.