DANBURY, CONN. — “Better Thinking.” That’s the tagline and corporate philosophy embraced by media planning and buying company Mediassociates, located in Sandy Hook. It’s also the name of a new scholarship created at Western Connecticut State University by Mediassociates President and CEO Scott Brunjes.

Brunjes, a 1985 WCSU graduate with a degree in Communication and Media Arts, explained the rationale behind “Better Thinking”: “We’re all about the people who work here and the importance of delivering value to our clients in terms of better marketing ideas, better data optimization, and better results. We have to out-think our competition to do a better job for our clients and in turn, for our own business.”

Brunjes established the Mediassociates “Better Thinking” Scholarship at Western for several reasons. The recipient of an academic scholarship when he was a student, Brunjes recalls how beneficial it was as he balanced commuting to campus, working 20 or 30 hours a week and his studies.

“I’m very grateful for how my education at Western has helped me achieve whatever level of success this company has achieved,” Brunjes said. “I need hard-working employees who have a great work ethic and I see a big difference in prospective employees who have had everything handed to them versus those who have had to work for it.

“For Mediassociates, without fail, WCSU graduates have been some of our strongest hires,” Brunjes continued, “and we’re thrilled with the people who work for us who attended the university. We’re a people business, and to us, hiring is one of the most important decisions we make. Creating the scholarship is a good way to give back as an alumnus, and it also provides a way to increase our visibility with the graduating students.”

The Mediassociates “Better Thinking” Scholarship is available to a full-time senior student who is majoring in marketing, interactive marketing or communication – media studies. A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.25 in the student’s major is required. Also required is the submission of a short essay that addresses either “What do you hope to accomplish by choosing your field of study?” or “How has ‘Better Thinking’ helped you accomplish a personal goal?”

Assisting Brunjes in the selection of the annual recipient of the $2,000 scholarship will be a committee that currently consists of the five WCSU alumni who also work at Mediassociates.

“The five employees determined the essay questions, and they will be the ones managing the selection process,” Brunjes said.

For more information, call the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.