April is APR Month, a time when communicators across the profession recognize the meaning and impact of accreditation in public relations, the professional credential of communication professionals focused on strategic expertise.

Mentorship played a pivotal role in Randy Barber’s APR journey. Pictured: Randy Barber, APR (right), and his APR mentor Christy McGee, APR (left).

A Mentee’s View: Randy Barber, APR

This is my very first APR Month, and it feels a bit surreal. After all, it was only a year ago that I finally broke through my fears and trepidations and earnestly began the climb to the APR summit. 

While I was proudly pinned last July at the NSPRA Seminar, it felt like a rushed finale to what had been a long, lingering journey. For years before that, I had been standing at basecamp—talking about the climb, preparing for it—but never quite taking those first real steps.

I would look up at the peak and wonder: Do I really have what it takes to earn those three letters and pursue the APR credential?

After more than a decade in school public relations, I had no shortage of experiences to draw from. I had navigated crises, supported high-stakes bond campaigns and led complex communication efforts. My pack was full of the right tools.

But I couldn’t get past the self-doubt. Was I ready to stand before a panel of my peers, a key part of the APR process where candidates present and discuss a communication case study? Was my work good enough?

I kept searching for the perfect communications plan to present as my accreditation project. And, of course, never found it.

That’s where my mentor, Christy McGee, APR, changed everything.

A skilled guide who has helped many communicators along this path, Christy helped me reframe the journey entirely. Perfection, she reminded me, isn’t the goal. How could it be? In school public relations, we work in environments where time, resources and support are often limited.

Instead, she challenged me to embrace the imperfections.

Those gaps in my work weren’t weaknesses to hide; they were opportunities to demonstrate growth. The APR process, through studying, preparing for the panel and exam, reflection and conversations with peers, sharpened my thinking and strengthened my approach.

By acknowledging where I could improve in the four-step RPIE process of research, planning, implementation and evaluation, I could show not only what I had done, but also what I had learned.

And that, ultimately, is what the APR journey is all about.

Every step made me a stronger communicator and a more intentional leader.

I’m grateful to have had a mentor who helped me get out of my own way and take that first step up the mountain.
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A Mentor’s View: Christy McGee, APR

Randy’s experience is common and one that APR mentors see often. Candidates for APR want to put their best foot forward to their accreditation panel. Who doesn’t? Part of the readiness review built into the APR process, the panel consists of three people who are your peers, and you want them to see your best work. It’s completely understandable. But like Randy alluded to, there is no perfect communications plan. While the winners of the Gold Medallion Award, NSPRA’s top award recognizing exemplary strategic communication campaigns, get very (very) close, I’m guessing even those communication professionals would admit that there are pieces they’d improve or change, however small.

Earning your APR is about understanding what is ideal and perfect, and balancing that with your real-world implementation. We all have variables in our districts that are out of our control: budget, timelines, research opportunities, supervisors, etc. Going through the APR journey shows you the perfect process, but the outcome is typically far from it. And that’s okay. 

I recommended to Randy, and will recommend to all school communicators, that talking through the gaps, showing what you learned and what you would do differently, is what really shines in a panel. It shows your panelists what you’ve learned, both through your studies and putting together your presentation. The best candidates, like Randy, bring and talk through messy, real-world work.

Reflect. Chances are, you’ve done the work to earn your APR. Take a minute to reframe it within the APR lens and apply the APR language, including the RPIE framework and strategic communication principles, to a campaign you’ve worked on. Find a mentor to help you through mentoring resources available through NSPRA. Someone with their APR may be able to see it better than you can see it yourself. 

Growth matters more than polish. Earning your APR isn’t exactly easy, but you can do it! Just take it one step at a time.

Want to learn more about earning your APR?

Explore resources from NSPRA to learn more about:

• What the APR credential is and how the process works
• Preparing for the panel presentation and exam
• Listening to Shaping Strategy: The APR Journey, NSPRA’s podcast series featuring stories and advice from accredited school communicators