PRSSA’s Sankalp Sharma on the Importance of Community

The PRSSA 2023-2024 president is a senior at Sacramento State University, where he is majoring in public relations. He has been a PRSSA member since his first week of college and has held several leadership roles for his Chapter. At the national level, he has served as a district ambassador, member of the PRoud Council and the vice president of chapter development.

Sharma is active in his community and has written two books that raise awareness about social injustices and inequalities. “I truly believe that everyone has a story, and I want to do my part to help tell those stories,” he says.

Here, he talks about leadership, community and life after graduation.

Did you have a dream job as a child?

I only had one main goal, and that was to travel the world and learn about as many people as possible. I was always fascinated by the world, the different cultures and different ways of life, and wanted to be able to travel as much as possible!

You’ve been a member of PRSSA since your first week of college. Why did you initially decide to join? And why did you decide to take on several leadership roles?

I found PRSSA through my college orientation. My tour guide mentioned that, for all the public relations majors, there was a club on campus called PRSSA. I sent an email asking what PRSSA was and after my first meeting realized it was the right place for me. I came to college during the beginning of the pandemic, and I remember being extremely nervous about meeting people.

With everything virtual, I was set on trying my best to find friends in college and the welcoming environment I experienced in my first PRSSA meeting solidified that this was where I could make lifelong friends and grow.

As a freshman, I felt extremely motivated to take risks and was elected to the executive board in my second semester. After that, I applied to be a district ambassador. From there, I was encouraged to run for the vice president of chapter development position and then was fortunate enough to be elected as president. I was encouraged to take risks and bet on myself.

What are you most proud of so far during your tenure as PRSSA president?

Easily, the community that we’ve strengthened. ICON and Leadership Assembly were such incredibly successful events and a lot of that happened because students really could be comfortable at these events.

After the virtual time, a lot of students understandably felt disconnected from the National Committee and their fellow Chapters.

My incredible National Committee team made it our priority to focus on outreach and creating a welcoming community. We fostered a celebratory environment where our PRSSA family was heard. Although a society can always be more diverse and open, I am proud of my team and of PRSSA for taking a step in the right direction. 

What are you and your peers and fellow students talking about right now?

With graduation coming closer, students are looking for jobs and internships. One constant discussion I’ve had with students was asking the question: “What’s next?” While some had their answers ready to go, others hesitated, and I reassured them that it was OK.

To me, the beauty of PRSSA and PRSA is helping those who don’t know what’s next, whether that be through networking, mentorship or improving someone’s portfolio. I’m very eager to see the incredible journeys these young leaders are ready to embark on. 

Community is very important to you — you’ve even written two books on the topic!

I came to write the books in 2020. With the nation being filled with unrest due to civil, racial, and overall health issues, I knew I wanted to make a difference. I remember seeing a lot of people reposting information on their Instagram or other social media, and that was great in terms of educating the public, but I wanted to do more. Public relations and communication are such an instrumental part of our world because we can use our voice and share the voices of others.

My first book consisted of pieces written solely by me, revolving around all kinds of topics, but the second one was to promote the voices of my peers. I wanted this piece to be a collaborative piece where I not only told a story of what I saw, but also allowed others to share their stories as well. All the proceeds from both books have been going to charity and I’m thankful for all the support that I have gotten regarding them. 

How has your time in PRSSA at Sacramento State prepared you for life after college and a career in communications?

PRSSA at Sacramento State has set me up perfectly because that is where my journey started. The support that I’ve gotten in my four years here is truly life changing and I am inspired every day.

One of the most influential parts, for me, was spending time around graduating seniors as a freshman because they showed me the reality of the working world and what to expect, but more important, how to get my foot in the door. I always encourage students to join PRSSA as quickly as possible because you find mentors at every step of your journey who can tell you the realities of what to expect, push you in the right direction and guide you when you hit a roadblock. 

What do graduates and new pros need to know for success in the real world?

I advise everyone to be up to date with the trends. AI is such an incredible discussion and I believe that everyone should use it as a support. There is a lot of fear and negative connotation around AI, and in several ways, I can understand why, but I am a big advocate for knowing how to use the tools around you. It’s important to keep up to date with the new ideas coming out because these will be the tools that the younger generations will need to know how to utilize to create legacies of our own.

The generation before us learned how to use laptops and smartphones going into their careers, and now we have this new technology that we should learn how to use and help us grow.

In terms of career preparation, I advise everyone to make the most of their PRSSA membership. Write for the Progressions blog, attend ICON and Leadership Assembly, network with as many people as you can, and apply for scholarships and awards. These resources will set a student up on the best track possible. I always say, “never push away a helping hand” and PRSSA offers several helping hands, so reach out and seize every benefit and opportunity that you possibly can! 

You’ve said that you believe “communication is key” and that you “truly believe that everyone has a story and I want to do my part to help tell those stories.” Talk about how these ideas are important to your leadership style and your PR career.

These sayings are important to me because, as a leader, I’m only as good as my team is. I’ve worked with incredible teams where communication was great and everyone on the team was heard and respected, and I’ve also worked with teams where that was not the priority.

As president, I wanted to make sure I made the term as memorable and empowering for my team as possible. A great leader can lead and speak with power and authority but can also listen and understand what his team’s needs are. I wanted to put my team in the best position and let them shine and have their moments. They made this year incredible because they all took their roles and made it their own, and the impacts that they made were astonishing.

To me, it shows the importance of communication with your team and the importance of letting everyone shine. I realized that, while growing up, I often saw stories go unheard. As a communicator, it is important that I listen to someone, understand their story and then be able to share it.

Communication is key, but unfortunately, not everyone can excel in it. That is where communicators step in. No one deserves to keep their stories untold, and the beauty of communication is you can learn so much from someone else’s story. The way I see it is, what’s the point in being a strong communicator if you can’t use it to help someone?