Sitting in class on March 12, I had no idea that it would be our last team meeting in person. Our regular days of walking into Martin Hall and being greeted by Dr. Colistra on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. came to a screeching halt.
Hi! Welcome back, Adison here, BrandJRNY's Advertising Director. While our circumstances have changed within the last few weeks, my team and I are still working hard to finish strong and make a difference in the Point Pleasant community. This has been a huge change for all of us, and I know my team and I are missing each other and Point Pleasant!
The pandemic, COVID-19, known as the novel Coronavirus, has and will continue to have a significant impact on West Virginia, surrounding states, and the country as a whole. We, as a society, are trying to find a "new normal" in the uncertainty of this virus.
This change has been abrupt and unexpected. The following tips helped me transition from in-person to online schooling, and I hope they will help you too.
Set up a designated workspace and keep it organized. It does not need to be elaborate, but establish a space where you know work needs to be done.
Create a simple checklist at the beginning of each day. It's a powerful tool -– marking off each thing on my daily to-do list brings me a profound sense of accomplishment.
Remember to be flexible. Not everything is going to go exactly as planned, and that's okay.
In addition to adjusting from in-person to online schooling, I had to redefine my expectations for my advertising portfolio. I learned that not every project I started on would be finished how I envisioned, as a result of the pandemic. With that being said, I had to remember to be flexible and accept that it's okay.
A few weeks prior, I had the opportunity to get to know each of the business owners that are part of the Main Street Merchants. I went in with goal of creating and launching a coupon page for their business. For now, that is on hold due to the unprecedented circumstances. While I expected this to be a large part of my job during the semester, I have learned that plans can change in the blink of an eye, and that's okay.
Overall, there have been a lot of changes in the past couple of weeks. Changes in the world around us on a national scale and changes with our learning and working environments. We are all working on getting used to this "new normal." While we are experiencing these changes, so are the Main Street Merchants and surrounding businesses.
It is important to remember during this time to shop and eat local, when you can, to give back to your community, no matter where you are from.
My name is Adison Ammons and I am the Advertising Director for BrandJRNY's Point Pleasant Project. You can find me in my spare time at chick-fil-a or browsing around Target. Follow me through our journey on various social media platforms @adison_elizabethhh.