Meet Aaliyah Thomas, PRSA Pittsburgh’s newest DEI Program Intern

PRSA Pittsburgh welcomes its first DEI Program intern, Aaliyah Thomas. The DEI Program
internship offers college juniors and seniors from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups
practical PR experience while assisting with the chapter’s daily operations. Running from
September to early December, the remote internship involves 10-15 hours of work per week,
with flexible scheduling in collaboration with PRSA’s board of directors. Interns engage in tasks
such as writing blog posts, creating social media content and supporting event management,
providing a comprehensive introduction to a career in communications.
After reviewing dozens of applications, conducting interviews, and finalizing schedules, the first
PRSA Pittsburgh DEI Program intern has been selected.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Aaliyah Thomas and I am a senior at Slippery Rock University majoring in Strategic
Communication with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Intercultural
Communication.

What made you interested in Public Relations?
While I now have my sights set on a career in Public Relations, I didn’t always believe
communication was my calling. The earlier parts of my life included caring for my siblings. I
thought I was meant to be a caretaker, so I looked into nursing.

However, a vital aspect of my identity includes literature. From a young age, I found that,
outside of my caretaker role, reading was a way for me to get lost in the art of storytelling and
my love for writing helped me through challenging times in my life.
I’ve always written but it was when I attended Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 that I started writing about
my life. At that time, I was struggling with my identity and so I began writing about being
biracial and how I found it difficult to find a community

After receiving encouragement from my teachers, I began submitting my stories. My piece,
“Love Isn’t Skin Color,” was my first published prose piece and received an honorable mention
at the Carnegie Mellon University Martin Luther King Jr. Writing Awards. I then went on to be
published in an anthology titled “TENDER: A Literary Anthology & Book of Spells: Evidence.”
During my high school years, I submitted over 20 stories and received numerous awards and
honorable mentions. It was the first time I realized there’s power in words, stories and
experiences.

When I finished high school, I looked back at everything I wrote and felt proud. In the
beginning, I denied myself this huge part of myself. I was told writing was a silly career and that

I should do what I know. But I didn’t want to deny myself the pleasure of writing professionally
and I’m so glad I didn’t.

How has your experience of being biracial influenced your writing and storytelling?
Being biracial has blossomed into a beautiful thing; I am not ashamed of who I am. Yes, I am
biracial, but I’m also Aaliyah—a writer, a reader, an avid lover of nature. Who I am only makes
me more unique and aids in my ability to communicate across a range of different publics. My
background allows me to understand and empathize with a variety of perspectives, which aids in
my storytelling and helps me connect with people from different walks of life on a deeper level.

What are you looking forward to while working for PRSA Pittsburgh?
I first want to say, I am so excited to be a part of PRSA Pittsburgh. I am excited to share my
perspective and learn as much as I can. I’m looking forward to honing my writing skills and
discovering where in Public Relations I can find a home. There are so many fields and different
niches and I’m hoping with this internship, I can find a place where my skill sets and lived
experiences will make a difference for an organization.