While at Baylor, I served two terms as chapter president of the Society of Professional Journalists. I also served as vice president in the 2008-2009 school year and as freshman representative in the 2007-2008 school year. I was a national convention delegate for my chapter and attended three national conventions. I was also active in my region’s spring conventions, was chosen as a delegate to the Ted Scripps Leadership Institute in 2008 and attended both regional and national events by invitation throughout the year.
As president I:
- organized meetings
- traveled to conventions
- communicated with department administration
- participated in campus meetings and events as a student leader
- spoke with prospective students on journalism department tours
- promoted SPJ at campus organizations fairs
- met new freshmen at the Welcome Week open house
- greeted and networked with alumni at the Homecoming open house
It is so rewarding to see the fight for ethical journalism and free press rights has such a strong history, current interest and future hope.
Throughout my years in SPJ, I developed a social media campaign and used e-mail, Twitter and Facebook to promote the organization and maintain communication with members. As the social media director for the chapter, I was able to keep alumni, professors, current students and prospective students informed of upcoming events and important news. Since my chapter met once a month, these tools proved invaluable as a leader in building loyalty to the organization and a sense of community between former, current and future members.
A slide I designed for one of our meetings for the campus slideshow on public computers and announcement screens:
Jenna DeWitt 