Madelyn De Los Santos is 2021 Art Stevens PRSA-NY CCNY Scholar for Excellence in Public Relations

Madelyn De Los Santos, a junior in the Advertising/Public Relations Programin the Division of Humanities and the Arts at The City College of New York, is the 2021 Art Stevens PRSA-NY CCNY Scholar for Excellence in Public Relations. 

This marks the 14th year that Stevens has funded a $5,000 scholarship to support rising talent. Managing partner of The Stevens Group and a CCNY alumnus (Class of ’57), he created the scholarship in 2008 to support talented students majoring in communications. Stevens’ commitment to both PRSA-NY and the City College Communications Alumni Group inspired him to name the scholarship for both organizations.

“Madelyn is a most worthy addition to the Stevens' Scholars, a group that has distinguished itself by what it has given back to society, he said. Modeling a life of service, Stevens serves on the Boards of Directors for the Communications Alumni and Crossroads Theatre Company, among others.

“I will take this gift with much responsibility as I continue to grow within the industry and connect with communications leaders,” said De Los Santos. In addition to excelling academically, she is interested in a career in the travel sector and currently interns at Palace Resorts, crafting newsletters, social media posts and strategic content for the luxury brand. Passionate about connecting with influencers, De Los Santos helps guide them through the process of visiting the resort properties and ensures content created and shared maintains Palace’s high standards.

Active in the community, she’s on the election team of New York City Council candidate Troy Blackwell Jr. (District 15 - Bronx), a former Stevens Scholar (’17). Long term, she sees herself working for the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Tourism, introducing global audiences to her family’s vibrant heritage.

On campus, Madelyn currently serves on CCNY PRSSA’s executive board and was elected chapter president for the 21-22 academic year. 

“Madelyn is a supernova and among our brightest Ad/PR All Stars,” said Professor Lynne Scott Jackson, Faculty Advisor. “As a PRSSA officer, Madelyn has been an integral part of our Building Bridges Career Fair and also volunteered for PRSA-NY’s Big Apple Award Gala. A familiar face at industry events, she proactively makes things happen and is always eager to help classmates gain their footing. Understanding the strong connection between student leader and community contributor, she strengthens bonds between the chapter and other important industry groups such as the Hispanic Public Relations Association, Black Public Relations Society and others. This results in countless opportunities for Ad/PR students.”

Former Art Stevens scholars include, Kellie Jelencovich ’11, public relations manager, Global Travel Collection and immediate past president of PRSA NY; and Caterine Molina Barfell ’13, public relations manager at BODYARMOR; Brent Reams ’14, communications professional at Jackson Spalding agency, Atlanta; Susan Linet Akinyi ’15, account executive at VMLY&R); and Jody Karg ’20, account coordinator at SourceCode Communications currently pursuing her MPS in Branding + Integrated Communications at CCNY.

“Art Stevens’ support plays an essential role in student success because it alleviates the tuition burden, so students can focus on their academics and careers,” said Ed Keller, professor and Ad/PR program director. “Beyond the financial support, Art continues to mentor his scholars and has built a family of Stevens Scholar alumni who meet annually to support each other. Art is a role model in our industry.”

The Art Stevens PRSA-NY / CCNY Scholarship was conceived during the tenure of Ad/PR Professor Emerita Lynn Appelbaum, who continues to mentor and build bridges of support between students and the communications industry.

For media inquiries regarding The Stevens Group, please contact Rich Jachetti, rich@theartstevensgroup.com at (914 318 4656). Students interested in the 2022 Art Stevens PRSA-NY / CCNY Scholarship should reach out to Professor Lynne Scott Jackson at (917 748 8917) or lynne.scottjackson@gmail.com.