In Truth in Service, the motto of Howard University, my alma mater, is what I strive to carry through my life and career. My mentor Amy Summers and LIFT gave me the opportunity to give back to my community at Howard and connect with more than 100 students along the LIFT College Tour.
What started as an assignment quickly turned into a project that I will hold close to me throughout my career. When I first began the research and outreach phase of securing speaking engagements at Howard University and UC Berkeley, I had no idea how much spreading the message of LIFT, creating the social media rollout, and connecting with students in real time would impact me. It was a transformative experience to travel with Amy to Washington, D.C. and all the way across the country to San Francisco, California, and I am so grateful for the chance to be creatively free, learn on the go, and better understand the power of using our voices.
At Howard University, I secured two speaking engagements for Amy Summers with HU PRSSA and a guest lecture in the Cathy Hughes School of Communications. At UC Berkeley, my research and outreach helped secure opportunities for Amy to connect with Undergraduate Women in Economics and Her Campus. Being part of the process from research and outreach to seeing these opportunities come to life helped me better understand my purpose at Pitch Publicity and how I can help LIFT connect with Gen Z.
Beyond securing these opportunities, I also developed the social media campaign rollout to help tell the story of the LIFT College Tour. From assisting with the Penn State leg to taking the lead on the Howard and UC Berkeley stops, I really stepped into my Campaign Manager role by making sure the Pitch Team was fully equipped to execute the plans we developed and bring our vision to life. Seeing the content come together in real time helped me understand the impact of the work we were doing and made me incredibly proud of what we created.
One of the biggest lessons I learned on this tour is that my purpose does not have to be singular. It can change and evolve with every new experience. My purpose now is to continue spreading the positivity that LIFT brings, continue to evolve as a leader, and bring my community up along the way.
The LIFT College Tour was such a meaningful experience this September. The positive feedback we received validated for me that I am on the right path. More than anything, this experience gave me hope for the future of communication students and for myself. I am excited to continue learning, growing, and living my purpose.
~ Maiya Barnhardt, Pitch Publicity® #PitchStar