King's internship serves as launchpad for award-winning student

When Nneoma Effanga took the stage in Banff, Alberta, at ELEVATE 2025, the Canadian Public Relations Society’s (CPRS) national conference, to receive the CPRS and Notified Student Award of Excellence, “an incredibly humbling and rewarding experience,” she didn’t stand there alone.

In her acceptance speech, the Fanshawe Public Relations & Corporate Communications student credited the many people who helped her reach that moment. Among them: her professors at Fanshawe (including Jane Antoniak, former Communications Director at King’s), Chantal Quagliara, King’s Communication Manager, and “the amazing team at King’s University College, whose valuable knowledge and meaningful investment during my time there made all the difference.” As part of her journey, Effanga was an intern in King’s Marketing, Communications and Media Relations department in early 2025.

Effanga says receiving the award confirmed the value of the mentorship and meaningful connections that created opportunities she has experienced along her journey, especially at King’s.

When she began to look for internship opportunities, Effanga wanted to be part of a team that valued storytelling with purpose. Once she learned about the King’s Marketing, Communications, and Media Relations department, she saw a place where she could grow, contribute and be inspired. “It was an opportunity to work alongside professionals who not only understand strategic communications, but who also genuinely care about the people and communities they serve,” she says.

Effanga has fond memories of her internship at King’s, where she enjoyed collaborating on digital campaigns and during weekly brainstorming and brand strategy sessions, working on content strategy, and supporting storytelling that aligns with King’s brand values. 

“There was something incredibly fulfilling about contributing to a team that champions creativity, clarity, and connection. This amazing team at King’s had it all. I really loved working with them,” she says. Effanga adds that “the blend of creativity, collaboration, and real impact made King’s the perfect environment to apply what [she]’d learned in the classroom and to take it even further.”

King’s offered her a strong foundation, not just technically, but professionally and personally, as well as an environment that fostered confidence and growth. Effanga says she feels ready and well prepared for what’s to come. With clarity and purpose, she is excited to step into the next phase of her career. She is currently exploring opportunities in communications and public relations, with a strong interest in brand strategy, storytelling, and digital media. “I’m excited to keep learning, building, and contributing in impactful ways,” she says.

Effanga says she is glad she chose King’s for her internship. “It was more than an internship, it was a launchpad,” she says.