UW Madison SJMC / Student leadership
Give students
a reason
to walk in.
I worked with faculty and my fellow undergraduate representative to turn student needs into events, resources, and opportunities to connect. I also designed the flyers that helped bring people through the door.
Event promotion designed by me. Community built together.
The responsibility
Turn a department’s
goals into something
students can use.
The Inclusion Committee sets goals for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, develops action plans, and considers their outcomes.
As an undergraduate representative, I brought student experiences into that work. Alongside my fellow representative and faculty collaborators, I helped plan ways for students to meet people, find support, and take part in the school.
01 / The initiative closest to me
I pitched a space for
first generation voices.
As a first generation student, I knew how much it could help to hear from someone who had navigated a similar path. I proposed a panel to bring that conversation into SJMC and learn whether students wanted a more connected first generation community.
- 01
Make the case.
I pitched the idea to the SJMC board as a pilot: create a place for students to ask questions, meet others, and see that they were not navigating college alone.
- 02
Bring people together.
I helped organize the panel and invited a TRIO advisor from UW Madison’s Center for Educational Opportunity to share resources and guidance.
- 03
Make the invitation clear.
I designed a flyer and a television display graphic that introduced the panelists and made the time, location, and RSVP information easy to find.
- 04
Take part in the conversation.
I spoke as the undergraduate panel representative, alongside faculty, staff, and a graduate student. First generation students attended to connect and ask questions.
MY PROMOTIONAL DESIGNS / MARCH 20, 2026
What followed
From a pilot
to planned
mentorship.
Students showed up for the conversation. The panel helped establish a starting point for a more connected first generation community within SJMC.
A first generation mentorship program is planned for the fall 2026 and spring 2027 academic year. Seeing continued support take shape after the pilot is the part I am proudest of.
The panel took place in March 2026. The mentorship program is the planned next chapter, rather than an outcome evaluated during my term.
02 / Practical support during finals
Create a place
to recharge
at no cost.
I developed the Recharge Hub to make the Journalism Reading Room a place where students could work, take a break, and get coffee without another expense during finals.
Start with the everyday barriers.
Finals bring long days, stress, and extra costs. I wanted support to be available where students were already studying, with no purchase required.
Make the space useful.
Working with the committee, I helped provide free coffee and hot chocolate, cups and lids, coloring pages, puzzles, and mental health resources. I designed the flyer to make the invitation feel approachable.
Give students a reason to return.
We saw students use the room to study, get a drink, and take breaks. The initiative made a familiar school space more useful during a demanding part of the semester.
03 / An easier first introduction
Help new students
find their people.
I helped plan the Trick or Treat Social with my fellow undergraduate representative to connect students early in the fall semester, when joining a new community can feel intimidating.
Bring the school into one room.
We brought together student organizations, faculty, teaching assistants, and current and prospective SJMC students. Organizations shared their missions, work, and opportunities to get involved.
Give people a comfortable way in.
Pizza, a costume contest, and a Halloween theme gave students an informal setting to start conversations. I designed the promotional flyer around both the activities and the chance to meet people.
Connect the social moment to a next step.
Students met new peers and learned about organizations they could join. Conversations also gave prospective students encouragement to explore applying to SJMC.
The work beyond the events
Listen closely.
Keep a useful record.
Contribute to the discussion.
I also attended meetings where student organizations presented their work to donors and requested funding. I took notes to document the discussion.
That experience put me in the room for another side of student support: how organizations explain their value and ask for the resources to continue their work.
- Meeting documentationCapture the substance of a discussion while listening to several speakers.
- Collaboration with faculty and staffBring a student perspective into shared planning and work toward a common purpose.
- Clear communicationExplain a need, make a proposal, and help others understand why it matters.
What this experience shows
I can take an idea
from a student concern
to a shared effort.
This role brought together the parts of communication I enjoy most: understanding people, making a case, creating the invitation, and being there when the work reaches its audience.
Propose and advocate.
Identify a gap from lived experience and present a practical idea to people who can help make it happen.
Plan with others.
Work across student, faculty, and staff perspectives to connect a shared mission with event details and available resources.
Design and communicate.
Create promotional materials for different formats, explain the value of attending, and speak directly with the community.