Andrea Nold might as well have been born with a pencil in her hand. She has been passionate about writing as long as she can remember.

“When I was little, I loved entering creative writing contests and making my own little books,” said Nold, a senior. Now she is avid about keeping a journal. She will be graduating in May with a degree in Communication with an emphasis in public relations and a certificate in writing.

Nold recently received the Bernays Cup Award, a distinct honor given by Public Relations Quarterly magazine. The award is given to one undergraduate per year.

Students wishing to be considered submit one public relations writing sample. Nold is the only SLU student to have ever received the award, which is named after Edward Bernays, the founder of modern-day Public Relations.

Liese Hutchison, assistant professor of Communication, asked the students in her PR Writing class to submit one of their assignments to the Bernays Cup competition. During the spring semester of 1999, Nold wrote and submitted a position paper on Proposition B that argued against the legalization of carrying concealed handguns.

PR Quarterly called Nold’s winning entry, which was published in the Winter 1999 issue of the magazine, “well-reasoned and argued with strong emotion.”

Dr. John Pauly, the department of Communication chairperson, will present the engraved silver cup to Nold at PRO-AM Day on Feb. 25. PRO-AM Day is an annual event sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America and the SLU PR Club.

The Bernays Cup Award honors more than just Nold. “This lets people know that the SLU Communication department is a quality department, and our students are award winners,” Hutchison said.

Nold is the first to admit that she owes a great deal of her success to her professors. “The faculty here has been really good. I am fortunate to have benefited from such a talented department,” she said.

In addition to the award, Nold has had many other accomplishments throughout her four years. She has been involved with University Ambassadors, PR Club, SAB, and Gamma Phi Beta. She has interned at SLU in University Events and the Office of Undergraduate Admission. She has just started a highly involved internship in the Public Affairs Department of the American Red Cross where she is gaining what she calls “invaluable real-life experience.”

When asked the fated question about post-graduation plans, Nold admitted that she doesn’t have a definite plan. Though she has considered attending law school, she now wants to keep on doing what she loves and “continue to gain hands-on experience in the PR field.”