Maret Montanari was the first student from The University of Alabama to win the Outstanding Student Award at the PRWeek Awards.
Others in the past have made it to the final round, but Montanari, a junior majoring in public relations, made history.
“I created a campaign called Delaware on Demand, which is about how millennials want what they want when they want and Delaware can give them that,” Montanari said. “I submitted it along with a video I created for the campaign and a website.”
Montanari was required to submit a campaign to promote millennial tourism in the state of Delaware as entry for the award. After being narrowed down from the top five to the top two, Montanari was recognized as the winner at the PRWeek Awards Ceremony in New York City. Her creative campaign led one judge to say, “She could work at any agency right now and thrive,” according to the PRWeek website.
In the weeks following the win, Montanari has been recognized by the College of Communications and Information Sciences and President Stuart R. Bell in mass-spread emails to the student body. She interned at the NCAA Final Four tournament, yet she is still trying to take in the win.
“It was honestly surreal, it’s still sinking in,” Montanari said. “Definitely, I’m really excited and extremely honored. It speaks so much about this University and our APR program and how amazing it is.”
Montanari is the firm director for the Capstone Agency, a student-run communications firm. The award-winning organization works with pro bono organizations and nonprofits on improving communications. Skylar Spencer, media relations strategist for the Capstone Agency, said Montanari is a valuable asset to the agency
“Maret has been instrumental in the agency’s operations and overall success this year,” Spencer said. “She’s done an incredible job ensuring the agency is performing at its best, while still pushing us toward innovation, and constantly looking for areas we can improve in.”
As a junior, Montanari still has some time remaining at UA and has her sights set to her future with the Capstone Agency and in the public relations field. Montanari said that she hopes to continue to improve the communications firm through her last year at UA and that her experiences in the agency have shaped her career goals.
“I definitely am enjoying the agency side of things so once I graduate, I want to pursue a career in that niche of PR,” she said. “I like the fact that it’s super fast-paced and challenging. That’s one reason I applied for the award, I always love a challenge, to step out of my comfort zone and see what I can do and really push the envelope.”
Beyond being skilled in her field, Spencer said that Montanari’s character is what makes her involvement with the firm even more significant.
“I think it’s also important to note her contributions to Capstone Agency’s overall morale,” Spencer said. “Her positivity and hardworking attitude shines through the agency and its members, which has added enormous value to the experiences of everyone in Capstone Agency.”
