by Chandra Ingram
As a journalism major at the University of Southern California, I have always been interested in communications but never had any internships or real experience in this field. That’s why I was so excited to do a virtual Communications Internship with WYSE this summer. As the incoming administration director for USC WYSE I had a few ideas about circulating a national newsletter and creating and more unified social media and communications channel between our 11 branches. Luckily, Lauren Gorski, Communications Chair, on our National Board team was already on the same page.
This summer I worked with Lauren to create a social media best practices drive for our 11 WYSE branches. After doing an audit of all of our branches’ accounts, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and websites, I was able to better grasp how branches were using these platforms. One of my favorite aspects of this internship has been getting to know WYSE as a national organization and the national network. I was able to learn so much from other branches, including what we were doing well and where we could also improve.
So what exactly is in this social media drive? It now includes specific and general tips on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Social media is about engaging our communities. The purpose of the drive is to allow branches to understand how they can promote our amazing national organization and stay connected with our vast network and local communities through social media. The drive also includes a Calendar with relevant dates, such as holidays, events, and WYSE week, to recommend when we should be posting. It also has a folder compiled with example Instagram posts from Fundraising to Mentor spotlights. Another one of my goals and visions for this internship was helping WYSE branches connect both with one another and with our National Board. Therefore, I added a shared folder for each branch to archive photos, videos, and graphics throughout the year that can be used in newsletters, blogs or in future posts. We have amazing content and now we can share it with one another forever!
I really enjoyed working with Lauren and getting to know more about the work our national board is doing. I also had the opportunity to work with her on our newsletter and blog—an area we’re still expanding and experimenting with. I came into this internship with the hope to pick up some useful communications strategies, and I can definitely say I gained tangible and relevant skills.
After attending NLTC, I also had the opportunity to meet the board and many branch directors from across the country.
I’ve never felt more connected to WYSE and am excited to carry the knowledge I gained with me into my Administrative role and into my future careers.