Last year, Steven Cheppo, associate director of the Jones Center for Leadership and Service, established four roles to enhance marketing efforts for the office while offering expanded professional growth opportunities for creative students. The inaugural marketing team, composed of five members, collaborated to define compelling content strategies and unify brand messaging across social media platforms and promotional materials.
Applications and registrations have increased across all Jones Center programs thanks to the increased social media engagement the team has garnered. It is even true regarding the internship job listings on Handshake—they rose from 20 total applicants last year to over 30 applicants this year.
This spring, the office’s social media engagement on Instagram saw a 112% increase in content interactions and a 117% increase in link clicks, with over 185,000 views, compared to the same date range last year. Views from August 19, 2024, to May 22, 2025, exceeded 242,700 and reached over 55,000 users.
“With the creative freedom I have been given and an amazing team, I have learned more than I could have ever imagined,” said AlexaLin Moses, the social media manager. She posts content and oversees the office’s social media accounts across platforms, develops the content calendar to maintain updated scheduling, and sources engaging and often funny reels to create with students and staff. As a senior majoring in journalism and electronic media with a minor in social media analytics in the College of Communication and Information, Moses guides the office’s accounts with a foundational understanding of digital engagement that has accelerated the Jones Center’s social media analytics.
Graphic Designer Patrick Shuster has worked for the Jones Center for two years now, cultivating the designs associated with the office’s branding from his senior year of undergraduate study through the completion of his master’s degree in marketing. He has led the creation of an informational booklet detailing our many programs and opportunities, made posters that drew in student engagement across campus, and guided the design of the inaugural Semester in Review report. His work in forming a consistent brand image was evident—shares, views, and clicks increased dramatically.
“I’m very proud of all the work that I—and the rest of the creative team—have accomplished,” Shuster said. “The creative team is such a fun group of students, and I’ve really enjoyed being able to work with such an energetic and supportive crew. Of course, none of our work would have been possible without Cheppo’s motivation, and I’m grateful for the lessons I have learned about teambuilding and collaboration.”
Blakley O’Brien, the copywriter and a senior studying public relations, worked with Cheppo to establish “Significant Stories,” an initiative aimed at highlighting office programs and their dedicated student leaders and staff. The monthly stories formed the body of the Semester in Review Report, for which O’Brien served as managing editor to oversee strategic aspects of the design. Two abridged versions of the Ignite program and MLK Jr. Days of Service stories, respectively, went on to be published in the Division of Student Life Spring 2025 Impact Report. Alongside the social media manager, she wrote captions for the Instagram content and managed the LinkedIn account.
Two photographers, Dalton Courtney and Kyndall Williams, were instrumental in curating the office’s content as they attended events to capture excursions, celebrations, and more across programs. Courtney, a first-year student, demonstrated his creativity while abiding by the university’s tone and brand guidelines to develop the cover of the Semester in Review report.
“Coming to work for the JCLS and Cheppo especially was something I knew I wanted to do the first week I was on campus,” said Courtney. “[Participating in] Ignite: Summit showed me how much the JCLS workers care about their programs, and I wanted to experience that same care in what I do as a creative team intern. Cheppo does an exceptional job in building relationships with his staff, and having a boss who cared about me and my talents was a brand new experience for me that I’ll never forget.”
Sophomore student and athletics photographer Williams dynamically documented action and connection at service sites. The experience on the creative team allowed her to step outside of the realm of photography to contribute to the overarching marketing strategy. Both photographers attended various events with students and staff, experiencing the vast program options available to our office and excellently recording the spirit of each of them.
“As professionals, it’s challenging to manage social media accounts when we’re not that good at it,” said Cheppo. “Providing opportunities for students to build their professional portfolio in turn benefits our unit. These positions embody what it means to be mutually beneficial. Not only are students able to hone skills, but it also meets our goal. I’m excited to see where it goes in the future.”
In extending opportunities available to its students, the office continues to support professional and personal development, even in creative disciplines. The Jones Center looks forward to continuing to amplify its reach with the talents of creative teams to come, as the first set of marketing interns has set a standard of excellence and an example that emulates the spirit and passion of our students and staff.