We are delighted to announce the launch of Inspire & Influence, a website showcasing the experiential learning projects of our communication, digital media, and human resources management students.
For students in our graduate and bachelor’s completion programs, We Make Learning Experiential is much more than a slogan. Whether they are serving as virtual consultants in a capstone course, working on short-term, co-curricular projects, or conducting research on cultural awareness, students apply their skills and knowledge to real-world challenges.
Husky Communications as a prime example of experiential learning
A prime example is our virtual digital communication agency, Husky Communications. Rather than simply take a series of academic courses on PR strategy and content development, students assume account team member roles in the agency. And many of the lessons they learn revolve around managing client relationships and working collaboratively as a virtual team. As Education Partners of HubSpot Academy, they gain hands-on experience on a industry-leading marketing platform, essential skills in our era of digital transformation.
Showcasing the outstanding experiential work of our students
Experiential learning, guided by subject matter experts who practice what they teach, results in some astounding work. What was missing? A website where we could showcase the work.
So, for eight weeks last fall, a talented, dedicated team of five students – Priyanka Jalan, Sabrina Liu, Sneha Mangesh Manjarekar, Raissa Talehata, and Cenyue Wang — systematically and with great creativity designed our Inspire & Influence website as a co-curricular project.
Why did we decide on the name Inspire & Influence? We hope what you see on the site will inspire you. How a team of three game design students entered a global competition and were awarded one of the top five prizes. How a student explored the role of cross-cultural awareness in the social work field and brought it together in an award-winning storyboard. How a student helped a small nonprofit develop a social media strategy to build awareness of its mission.
And, these experiential projects influence. They inform, they engage, they call to action. The ability to influence others in an productive and ethical way is such a critical skill for communication, media, and human resources management professionals.
What the student team members had to say:
“It’s so satisfying to see how the ideas for this project matured into a tangible results after weeks of dedicated effort; but more than that, it was the freedom to create, the opportunity to lead, and the space to learn that made this experience so valuable. May we inspire and influence you to make a greater, positive impact for mission-driven organizations all around the world!” Sabrina Yi-San Liu, Digital Media
“This experiential project gave me the opportunity to apply the theories and concepts I learned in class to the challenge of designing a website from scratch. Collaborating with my student team significantly contributed to my personal and professional growth as a user experience designer.” Raissa Talehata, Digital Media
“In creating this website, our team members brought a range of skills to the project, and we learned a great deal from each other. Even though building a website was something new for me, I was able to apply my project management skills and help the team succeed. This was by far one of the most memorable projects I’ve worked on.” Priyanka Jalan, Project Management
Posted by Carl Zangerl, Faculty