The February 2011 block has started off rather chaotically! It all started by switching out of an independent study, hoping to get into a particular class, ended up in another, ONLY to find myself in a completely different independent study after the block had already begun. PHEW!
This new independent study is an exploration into the world of Social Media. (Exciting and terrifying!) This opportunity came about because of my involvement with the Life at Quest site. For the past 5 months I have lead the amazing student team as the student communications coordinator. It has been an incredible experience. I have already learnt a lot, but I am finding out that I have SO MUCH left to learn. However, I am grateful for the challenge!
Recently my "boss" and Life at Quest site administrator, Barbara Cummings, informed me that she is leaving Quest to pursue other opportunities. Her early dedication to the site made it possible for the rest of us to bring it alive! I am going to miss her a lot. She has been a great resource and a great friend. Also, Her departure means that I will be stepping into her shoes, on top of my current responsibilities to the site, as a student and everything else I volunteer for. (GULP!)
Normally, I would have been hyperventilating at the thought of learning my new responsibilities accompanied by the increased workload for the site ON TOP of my insanely busy life. However, a flash of pure brilliance came to me. Why not dedicate this month to learning about social media and apply that knowledge to Life at Quest?! I could take on Barb’s role, and improve the site – it’s really a win-win for everyone! Luckily, the administration and faculty at Quest are INCREDIBLE and my support system came together in 2 days. I had 3 days to gather all the learning material, online resources and to create a syllabus detailing what I would accomplish over the next month! Double PHEW!
I have just embarked on this journey, but I already know this: social media is here to stay. The world is now connecting at an alarming rate through blogs, My-Space pages, YouTube videos, Flickr photos, Facebook posts and twitter feeds. For those who still think that social media is a fad, check out This Video. The statistics are quite startling. Although Quest has made good headway with our social media campaign, we have barely scratched the surface. Throughout this block I hope to figure out how we can optimize our efforts, so that we can get our story out there. Social marketing campaigns are built on the stories the storytellers tell! I might be bias, but here at Quest we’ve got a remarkable story that needs to be heard – especially since we are on a mission to create the next world leaders!
“The ability to see our lives as stories rather than unrelated, random events increases the possibility for significant and purposeful action”
– Daniel Taylor
Author, Tell Me a Story: The Life-shaping Power of Our Stories
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