Experiential Learning and Student Employee Spotlights
The Office of Strategy, Planning, and Analysis (OSPA) plays an important role in helping Washington State University plan for its future through its strategic planning guidance and institutional research. OSPA has also helped undergraduate student employees, Chloe Woodward and Hunter Snyder, plan for their futures and preparing them for careers in the strategic communication field.
Communication and Design Support
Chloe first started working in the strategic planning and communication department of OSPA in August 2023. Since her start as a strategic communications assistant, Chloe has developed our resources for communicators and assisted with data entry and strategic plan implementation in AchieveIt, which shows up-to-date progress on our WSU system strategic plan.
“I know OSPA will help me in my future,” Chloe said. “I have already gained so much more first-hand experience in strategic communication practices, especially in content creation, which is something I am passionate about.”
Chloe is a senior, double majoring in public relations and multimedia journalism.
“Within my position, I get to work on a lot of different projects and campaigns that have helped me develop various skills,” Chloe said. “I do a lot of work in Adobe Illustrator, creating documents to help promote our strategic plan, which is something that I have really enjoyed.”
During her time at OSPA, Chloe has developed PowerPoints and One-Pagers to share our strategic plan and annual objectives and has assisted with tasks in finalizing our annual report. She has also worked on more creative projects and campaigns, such as editing photos and designing icons and other assets for internal office communication projects.
Chloe will graduate in May 2024, and hopes to pursue a career in entertainment public relations and/or journalism, specifically focusing on her passions: music, film, art, and culture.
From the Classroom to the Office
Student employees, Chloe Woodward and Hunter Snyder are pursuing strategic communication degrees from WSU’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. Within this program, students learn to creatively and persuasively communicate, developing skills to foster mutually beneficial relationships. The skills that they’ve learned in the classroom, directly tie into the work that they do in the Office of Strategy, Planning, and Analysis, as they foster relationships with their co-workers and communicate effectively through the content that they’ve developed.
Video Production and Post-Production Experience
“Campaign management is something I am interested in, I am so glad that a lot of the work I have done with OSPA has helped me develop different skills that directly tie into campaign management,” Hunter said.
Hunter began working at OSPA in May 2023. Hunter has worked extensively in video production, which is an important process in promoting WSU’s vision and goals. Using Adobe Premiere Pro, Hunter has created numerous essential videos for OSPA.
“I have done a lot of video editing while working at OSPA, including different videos for our vision statement and annual report,” Hunter said. “I think that videos are such an effective way to push our messaging, and I am really proud of the work I have done to support that.”
As Hunter prepares to graduate in December 2023, he hopes to work in an advertising agency in Seattle, Washington, after graduation. Hunter is especially interested in working in campaign management and event management.
Practical Experience and Tools for the Future
The Office of Strategy, Planning, and Analysis strives to provide Washington State University with the tools it needs to make data-informed decisions to drive success, and for our undergraduate student employees, we strive to give them practical tools and experiential learning opportunities to prepare them for their futures.
About the Author
Chloe Woodward is a Strategic Communications Assistant in the Office of Strategy, Planning, and Analysis. Chloe is an undergraduate student pursuing a strategic communication degree from WSU’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. She is double majoring in public relations and multimedia journalism.