Champion Journalist Portfolio
Leadership Seminars​
​
During my senior year, we began holding leadership seminars for all editors on staff. In these sessions, we talked about our goals, obstacles, and strengths as journalists, and each session helped the team reflect and grow as editors. In one of our most meaningful sessions, we discussed each of our motivations -- why we do ODYSSEY -- which helped each editor cement their purpose and connect with the group around common goals. I have attached images of my notes about different leadership styles, as well as several posters made during seminars by different editors to show the variety of topics covered.
Friendsgiving​
​
Throughout my time in ODYSSEY, I have found it essential to organize group bonding activities and fun events that are unrelated to our day-to-day work. One way I implemented that this year was by hosting a class "Friendsgiving" potluck at which everyone enjoyed food, each other's company, and gratitude.
Summer Workshop​
​
Each summer, we host a journalism workshop for new and returning members to get reacquainted with the basic journalistic skills that will be needed as soon as the school year starts. As Managing Editor, I helped plan and lead portions of the workshop, and as Editor-in-Chief I had an even larger role in executing the workshop. I presented lessons to the staff, facilitated get-to-know-you games, and even led a yoga workshop (shown at left) to promote stress-management for the staff. This workshop was important for establishing myself as a leader prior to the start of the fall semester.
Deadline spreadsheet
​
As Managing Editor, I was tasked with helping keep the class on deadline for content production. I kept organized by keeping track of who met deadlines for each assignment in a spreadsheet. This allowed me to notice trends and have necessary conversations with those who were consistently missing deadlines.
Peer Evaluations
​
One of the most important parts of my job as managing editor was conducting peer evaluations. Each member of staff submitted an evaluation form for each of their colleagues that they work most closely with. Once submitted, the evaluations were only accessible by me and the adviser. I read each evaluation and compiled feedback for each member of staff, then conducted conferences with each person to discuss their progress and performance as well as their feedback from peers. This required me to be able to connect with my staff, make them comfortable in the conferences to share their thoughts, deliver negative feedback and notice red flags to bring to the attention of our adviser.
Peer evaluations presentation
At the beginning of the school year, I delivered this presentation to the staff in order to educate everyone on how to properly submit peer evaluations and make their feedback as constructive as possible.
Minutes at Editorial Board meetings
​
One of my job responsibilities as Editor-in-Chief is to create agendas for each Editorial Board meeting. Last year as Managing Editor I took minutes at every Editorial Board and Leadership Team meeting. We developed an agenda prior to the meeting and I took notes throughout the meeting in order to have a record of our discussion and place for recording important information. Following the meetings, I sent the minutes to anyone who was unable to attend in order to keep everyone in the loop.
​
*Most names redacted for confidentiality
Production calendar
​
At the beginning of our third production cycle, I handed out a physical copy of this calendar to each member of staff so that everyone had something to refer to in order to stay on top of their deadlines. At the beginning of class I often ask everyone to take out their calendars and remind them about upcoming deadlines. I have found this to be an effective method of keeping everyone on track for their various assignments
​
*Click on image to view
Conferences
​
The ODYSSEY Media Group attends the Georgia Scholastic Press Association and Southern Interscholastic Press Association conferences each year, which are opportunities for the staff to build relationships and grow as journalists. These conferences require leaders to facilitate staff bonding and lead by example for younger members of the program.
Engaging and effective editorials
​
I worked with former viewpoints editor Valeria Garcia-Pozo to create this presentation on how to write engaging and effective editorials, which we presented at the Southern Interscholastic Press Association 2018 conference in Columbia, SC. Although I was a news writer at the time, I had practiced editorial writing and enjoyed the opportunity this presentation gave me to fully grasp -- and then teach -- what makes a good editorial. We received positive feedback from those who attended the session and it was an important learning experience for me to develop my presentation and public speaking skills.
News convergence
​
I worked with fellow news staffer Mackenzie Caudill to create a presentation on news convergence which we presented to the ODYSSEY class. We used our experience as news writers and our values as a convergence publication to teach our peers how to turn an otherwise boring and unappealing news story into an engaging piece of news convergence.
Journalism I presentations
​
I created and presented multiple presentations that I delivered to the freshman of the ODYSSEY Journalism I class. These were introductory-level presentations to the topics of news writing and interviewing, two fundamental skills for our beginner staffers.
Staff bonding​
​
As a staff we hold monthly staff bonding activities in order to get to know each other outside of the stressful classroom environment and built stronger relationships. I help our business staff plan these events and we have done a variety of fun activities as a staff, including roller skating, a picnic and "friendsgiving".