by Tessa Landrum, Student Public Relations Writer
Sarah Gump, manager of digital and social media at Cedarville University, was named the Young Professional of the Year by the Dayton Area Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) at the Gem City PR Awards ceremony on Sept. 24, 2020.
The Young Professional of the Year award is given to a motivated and talented public relations leader who has worked in public relations (PR) for less than three years.
Before joining Cedarville’s PR department in June 2018, Gump facilitated social media accounts for Chick-fil-A at Bridgewater Falls, Ohio, and for Liberty University’s school of communication and digital content.
Gump graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a marketing focus and a Master of Arts in strategic communication.
“In Sarah’s time at Cedarville University, she has demonstrated an excellence that is unmatched among young PR professionals,” said Mark D. Weinstein, executive director of public relations at Cedarville University. “In my 30 years of working in public relations for colleges and universities across the United States, I have never worked with a young colleague as gifted and with so much promise as Sarah. She’s a credit to Cedarville and PRSA in Dayton.”
Winning the award in 2020 has significant meaning for Gump, whose job was heavily impacted by COVID and other issues. “Professionally, this year has been the hardest of my career,” said Gump. “This award has given me something physical to remember all that I have overcome and learned this year. I am thankful for Mark for believing in me.”
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,550 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation, and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.