Greetings from Our Newest Intern
Posted on Feb. 16, 2026 / Subscribe 0
Hello everyone!
My name is Ashley Ortiz, and I am PRSA Detroit’s newest intern. I am a senior at Wayne State University, where I’ve had the pleasure of engaging in a variety of on-campus organizations, including the Campus Activities Team, the Filipino Student Society, and, more recently, the James S. Measell Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter.
Throughout my time at WSU, I’ve intentionally aligned my academic journey with opportunities outside the classroom based on my interests, heritage, and professional goals. Over the past few years, I’ve embraced multiple roles, including serving as an Event and Digital Communications Coordinator for the Campus Activities Team, an internal communications officer and co-president of the Filipino Student Society, a journalism intern for Wayne County's executive communications office, a social media marketing intern for Wayne State University Libraries, and a corporate communications intern with Joyson Safety Systems, where I led initiatives spanning event development, digital and internal communications, social media strategy, community engagement, and global employee storytelling.
These experiences have allowed me to explore multiple facets of communications, preparing me for my continued work within Wayne State University’s PRSSA chapter.
My journey with PRSSA has been anything but traditional. It began with a conversation with my professor and mentor, Michele (Shelly) Najor, who recognized my creative abilities and encouraged me to get involved. In my sophomore year, I joined as assistant editor-in-chief, contributing to digital communications, the Communication Department’s first open house, and our annual newsletter, Salute! By my junior year, I served as editor-in-chief of Salute!, spearheaded general body meetings alongside the previous co-presidents, and attended the national ICON conference, supported by a grant from PRSA Detroit and the WSU Communications Department. These experiences strengthened my connection to the communications industry and deepened my partnership with PRSA Detroit.
Now, in the final year of my undergraduate journey, I serve as president of Wayne State University’s PRSSA chapter, where I lead agency tours, facilitate industry insights with established professionals, and design intentional programming to help students learn and grow together, alongside a seven-member executive board. Once more, I had the privilege of attending the national ICON conference, due to the generous donations of the WSU Communications Department and PRSA Detroit.
During the busy fall semester, I juggled full-time classes, a fully in-person internship, PRSSA responsibilities, and being a peer mentor for students in public relations courses. Due to scheduling conflicts, I began to seek a different opportunity for the winter semester that was manageable, yet meaningful. With encouragement from Shelly and PRSA Detroit board member Bianca Boji, I applied to PRSA Detroit. To my surprise, I was offered an internship with this great organization.
As I enter this role, I am excited to contribute to PRSA Detroit with an investigative mindset rooted in my journalism experience, a commitment to engaging diverse audiences through traditional and digital strategies, curating content with functionality and visual aesthetics in mind, and a focus on improving inclusive, accessible communication practices. Moreover, I look forward to learning from the leaders of PRSA Detroit, in hopes of applying what I gain here to strengthen my own leadership practices within WSU PRSSA.
Ashley Ortiz is a senior at Wayne State University, studying public relations and communication studies, where she serves as a peer mentor for PR courses and is the president of WSU’s PRSSA. Ashley is currently interning with PRSA Detroit and Yelp Detroit.
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