Margareta Anastasia (centre), Prof Sean Chaidaroon (left) and Dr Soh Kai Ruo (right) at the 2023 PRISM Awards Ceremony celebrating Anastasia’s achievement

In a celebration of brilliance and dedication, the National University of Singapore's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences proudly announces Margareta Anastasia, a Master's student in Communications and New Media (CNM), as the recipient of the "Outstanding Public Relations Student Award". This prestigious accolade is presented biennially by the Institute of Public Relations Singapore (IPRS), the only accrediting body for PR practitioners in Singapore, and a formal recognition of Anastasia's exceptional contributions to the field.

Established in 1987, the PRISM Awards stands as one of the oldest and most prestigious industry awards programme in Singapore. Anastasia's award win is a testament to her outstanding achievements and commitment to excellence in the realm of public relations.

Inspiring Excellence and Recognition

Anastasia's journey is marked by an unwavering commitment to delivering outstanding work and a fervent passion for continuous learning. In her journey thus far, she has played crucial roles in the teams that she has been a part of. Anastasia's professional career began at IN.FOM, a Singapore-headquartered PR consultancy, where she honed her skills in strategic communications in a hyper-growth environment.

Anastasia and IN.FOM team at PRISM Awards 2023 (Credit: IN.FOM)

From there, she recognised a need for a holistic understanding and transitioned to Storms, a homegrown gaming startup where she built her first in-house career. Here, she played a pivotal role in Storm The World 2, a global mobile game competition, where she orchestrated an integrated marketing approach that resulted in triple-digit percentage increases in game submissions. Life then took Anastasia to Hegg, where she had the privilege of collaborating with driven colleagues at the plant-based startup.

As she was blazing her own path, she also made sure to reflect on her career constantly, and her experience helped her realise that there were gaps in her skills and knowledge that she felt she needed to fill. “This journey has been invaluable in identifying what I do not know – the most valuable lesson one can ever get," said Anastasia.

Professional Evolution and Transition to CNM Master's Program

Motivated by a desire to fill knowledge gaps and become a well-rounded leader, Anastasia embarked on her Master's journey at NUS. She chose the Master of Communications (MOC) programme, a cutting-edge course designed to address the ever-changing landscape of communications. The programme's relevance to current industry practices and a unique mentorship module tailored for graduate students with work experience made it a strategic choice.

"The Master's journey has been a profound exploration of my strengths and areas for improvement,” says Anastasia, sharing her experience with the CNM Master’s programme to date. “What attracted me to NUS was not just the prestigious name but the programme itself. The MOC programme offers a comprehensive exploration of contemporary communication strategies, including topics like gamification, NFTs, and metaverses in the Interactive Media Marketing Practices module. This not only kept me on the cutting edge but also equipped me to contribute significantly to my role at Hegg and other projects."

Anastasia and her friends in class for NMC5301: Strategic and Global Communication

Anastasia’s decision to pursue a Master’s degree was met with mixed responses from friend groups and communications industry professionals alike, but her unwavering belief in herself and desire for growth gave her the strength to persevere. Her Master's experience has been a profound exploration of strengths and areas for improvement, proving that true mastery involves a perpetual quest for knowledge.

This award is a significant milestone in Anastasia’s promising journey, who remains grateful for past growth opportunities and is poised to continue learning and sharing her knowledge, ensuring that this is just the beginning of a remarkable career. As a beacon of inspiration, Anastasia's journey is not just an achievement; it's a call to action for every aspiring professional.