Novitas Communications Awards “Novitas Diverse Voices Scholarship” to Advance Opportunities in Public Relations

Scholarship supports career development of students underrepresented in the public relations profession

DENVER (November 20) –– Building on its work with the Public Relations Society of America, Colorado Chapter encouraging diversity in the field of public relations, Novitas Communications today announced it has awarded the inaugural Novitas Diverse Voices Scholarship to Ms. Fametta Zubah. The $1,000 scholarship will help support the career development of historically underrepresented and marginalized students in pursuing a career in public relations and communications. 

Zubah wowed the judges with her essay answer to the question, “What impact do you believe the power of diverse PR voices can have on shaping the public narrative?” The scholarship received nearly 300 applications from across the United States. Zubah is a rising junior at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. 

Novitas hopes this scholarship will help Zubah find her footing in public relations. She advocates for creating space for diverse voices, starting at the agency or company level. Bringing in different perspectives to create content will help connect diverse audiences with it. Zubah wants diverse voices to tell their own stories, rather than have stories foisted upon them. 

“Novitas has been part of our industry’s effort to attract, empower and retain diverse voices in the public relations, communications and marketing industries. One way we’re accomplishing that is to quite literally put our money where our mouth is through our Diverse Voices Scholarship. We’re honored to support Fametta as she reaches for her professional and personal dreams. We were so impressed with her generosity of spirit, her positivity, her ability to tell a story, her entrepreneurism and dedication to giving back to her community. We couldn’t have imagined a better awardee for our inaugural scholarship,” said Michelle Lyng, CEO of Novitas Communications. 

Zubah is a first-generation American. Her parents fled Liberia’s civil war and immigrated to the United States when they were young, allowing them to provide a new beginning for their children. She will be the first person to earn a college degree in her family. Zubah credits her parents with motivating her to be the first person in her family to graduate from college. Zubah also feels the call to give back to her community, providing small scholarships of her own to those seeking further education.   

“We have to find ways to gather the insights of these diverse communities. Understand what they like, don’t like, what they value, and the essentials they need in their lives so that they feel seen and heard. We have to help businesses understand how to not only grow as a company or brand, but how they can provide a space for any new consumers wanting a spot at the table. This work will not be easy, but it is crucial in this point that we are in as a society,” Zubah wrote in her essay. 

The scholarship accepted applications from February through May on Bold.org, an exclusive scholarship network. Receiving 291 responses, applicants were high school seniors or undergraduate students, and considered themselves low-income, first generation, BIPOC or LGBTQ+. 

Previously, Novitas and its leadership worked with the Public Relations Society of America to create a program to encourage high school students to pursue careers in public relations, especially those not traditionally represented in the industry.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the public relations industry is 87.4% white, and 64.3% women. 

For additional information about the scholarship or to apply for future scholarships, please visit: bold.org/scholarships/novitas-diverse-voices-scholarship.

About Novitas Communications

Novitas delivers tailored communications and public relations solutions that help our clients manage risks while maximizing business, community, and public policy opportunities through intentional action. From grassroots coalition building and crisis management to corporate communications and public education campaigns, Novitas is skilled at building support and driving results for a wide range of clients when stakes are highest.

Novitas has won several national awards and received recognition for many client campaigns including the 2022 ColoradoBiz Top Company Award, 2020 Ragan Award for Best Governmental or Public Affairs Media Relations Campaign, 2020 Gold Bulldog Award for Best Public Affairs Campaign and the PR News Agency Elite Top 100 Award. 

Entrepreneurs at heart, we bring innovation, excellence, and integrity to every partnership. To learn more about Novitas, please visit: novitascommunications.com, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.