Dayton Resident Stays Busy at Ashland University

2017 Nov 3

Dayton resident Erin Staley, a junior at Ashland University, is one of the captains of the varsity swimming and diving team and is a dual major within the communications department in health and risk communication and public relations and strategic communication. She hopes to one day work in the public relations field.

Staley is the daughter of Jim and Susie Staley of Dayton and is a 2015 graduate of Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School.

Staley is one of 34 teammates on the swim team that is coached by Ron Allen. She swims the distance events for the Eagles which include the 500 freestyle, 1000 freestyle, and 1650 freestyle.

As a freshman and a sophomore, Staley finished in the top 16 in the distance free events at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships. She hopes this year to crack the top 10 in one of her events.

"I never thought I would be able to say I was a collegiate athlete. Swimming in college is one of the hardest things I have ever done. It takes so much time and dedication. However, seeing your goals accomplished makes it all worth it," Staley said.

Outside the pool, Staley is very involved in campus. She is an executive board member of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which gives her the opportunity to handle the public relations for the group as well as manage the group's social and print media.

Staley also was chosen as one of the six members of Ashland University's Bateman Case Study Competition Team. The Bateman Case Study competition is PRSSA's premier national case study competition for public relations students. It gives students an opportunity to apply classroom education and internship experiences to create and implement a full public relations campaign. This is the first time Ashland University has competed in this competition. The top three teams chosen get to present their case study in Chicago this upcoming May.

Staley has achieved a 3.7 cumulative grade-point average and has been on the Ashland University Dean's List for the last three consecutive semesters. Staley also was one of the 76 Eagle athletes to earn the Division II Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Award. In order to earn this honor a student must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or higher, have attended a minimum of two years of college-level work, and have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year.

Ashland University, ranked in the top tier of colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report's National Universities category for 2017, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) deeply values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students. ###