Three students selected as Fall Tieger Fellows in Public Affairs Communications

The Public Affairs Professional Certificate in Public Affairs Communications announces the selection of three new Tieger Fellows for the Fall 2022 semester: Jenna Monnin, Olga Diaz-Nasser and Sarah Dorr. The Tieger Fellowship gives students pursuing the PAC certificate at Grady College the opportunity to apply skills learned in the classroom to real-world public affairs work promoting the program.

These three students started their fellowships this summer and will continue their work serving the PAC program this fall. The Fellows work closely with the Carolyn Caudell Tieger Professor of Public Affairs Communications and PAC Program Director, Joseph Watson, Jr.

“We are excited to announce the selection of Olga, Sarah, and Jenna as our newest Tieger Fellows,” Watson said. “The vision and funding of Carolyn Caudell Tieger makes the PAC program and special opportunities like the Tieger Fellowship possible. These students will bring their unique talents and sensibilities to their roles that will help promote their program and keep our current and prospective students engaged. I look forward to working with these talented students to serve the PAC program.”

The first-in-the-nation PAC program was established in 2016 to give undergraduate students practical training in public affairs strategy and practice, and its classroom instruction focuses on advocacy work, public policy, and politics.

The Tieger Fellowship is funded by Carolyn Caudell Tieger (ABJ ’69), who has decades of public affairs experience with a career that spans Capitol Hill, the White House, global PR firms, and her own company.

“The program has exceeded all expectations not only in terms of equipping PAC students with the skills to succeed but in instilling in them a respect for each other and our country’s political process,” said Tieger. “These students have now become highly sought after by the U.S. Congress, state governments, corporations, public affairs agencies, pollsters and the media. Grady College and Joseph Watson have built a one-of-a-kind program in the nation that just keeps getting better. Congratulations to these three dynamic students who will be our PAC ambassadors for promoting the program and serving as leaders for the College.”

The Tieger Fellows will promote the program through media relations, social and digital media, and through events on campus. Monnin, the Media Relations Fellow, will write about PAC students, alumni, and events for the blog. Diaz-Nasser, the Social and Digital Media Fellow, will create posts and help manage the social media platforms for the program. Dorr, the Program Promotion Fellow, will promote PAC events and help the program connect with alumni and other groups on campus.

The PAC program and its courses have prepared these three students for their future careers, and this new cohort of Fellows is excited to continue using their skills this fall to serve the program.

Jenna Monnin is a senior from Atlanta, Georgia double majoring in journalism and political science. This summer, Monnin went to Washington D.C. on the GradyDC program and had two part time internships. She interned for National Journal on their editorial team and for Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press as a policy intern. On campus, Monnin works as a volunteer for Grady Newsource, a student-led broadcasting club. She was also elected by her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, to serve as the Panhellenic Delegate last year and the Nomination Committee Chairman this fall.

“I’m so thankful to have the opportunity to give back to the PAC program, a program that has truly prepared me to enter the real-world! My goal for this semester is to find unique angles for the stories I will be writing about our amazing network of PAC students and alumni.”

Olga Diaz-Nasser is a senior from Alpharetta, Georgia, majoring in public relations with a minor in French. She is also pursuing a master’s in public administration through the Double Dawgs pathway. Diaz-Nasser spent her summer in Washington D.C. through the Honors in Washington program as an intern in the office of Representative Lucy McBath. She has previously interned for See.Spark.Go, a PR agency. On campus, she serves as the Executive Director for University Judiciary, the Member Relations Manager of Women in Media, and a Grady College Ambassador.

“I’m excited to come back to Athens this fall and further involve myself in the campus community. My goal for the semester is to make sure I create fresh and well-timed content for all social media platforms for the PAC program. I’m looking forward to connecting with the PAC community through my posts and digital content.”

Sarah Dorr is a senior from Peachtree City, Georgia, majoring in public relations with a minor in general business and a certificate in New Media. Sarah spent this summer in New York City through the AdPR NYC program working as an intern for PR Consulting, a fashion, beauty and lifestyle-focused public relations agency. On campus, Sarah served as a Yarbrough-Grady Public Relations Fellow and currently serves as Vice President of UGA’s Drewry Chapter of PRSSA. She previously interned on the digital communications team at UGA Alumni Association.

“I’m super excited to serve as the Program Promotion Fellow for PAC this fall. Since the pandemic, it’s been hard to get all of us together in person. My goal is to bring back that aspect of peer networking that makes the program so unique.”