Well folks, it’s me again, coming to you with my last blog for BrandJRNY ever. Can you believe that? I sure can’t. Wasn’t it just the first day of my senior year last week?
While I sit here on my last Sunday night as an undergraduate college student and reflect on this path I’ve been on, I can’t help but get choked up. The experiences I’ve had while involved in BrandJRNY will forever have a special place in my heart. I keep thinking back to the day we learned Point Pleasant was the next community chosen for the community branding initiative. It was the first day of the fall semester, and despite being nervous, I knew this was about to be an amazing capstone class. I remember being so excited that we picked one of the coolest small towns in West Virginia.
Being a BrandJRNY member for both the fall and spring semesters has been the best opportunity that I’ve had while in the Reed College of Media. I saw all of the hours that went into the research that guided the new Point Pleasant branding in the fall semester and then helped implement the branding in the spring semester. It has been so rewarding seeing the hard work we’ve done finally come to life and the community members’ reactions.
Point Pleasant is such a unique and interesting town, which made it easy to want to get to this point in the campaign. I never wanted to show up, collaborate with my teammates and professors, and make a difference more than with this project. Thank you to the community, residents and friends I’ve made from Point Pleasant. You all have helped me grow in more ways than I thought possible.
And finally, a huge thank you to my teammates from the fall and spring teams, my professor Dr. Rita Colistra, the BrandJRNY Storytelling team, and the BrandJRNY Graduate Assistant Sam Stocksdale. I am so lucky to have worked with such an amazing group of people. I am so happy to be able to call all of you great friends.
As for me? I’ll still be around the Reed College of Media for a bit longer. This time, I will be in the Integrated Marketing Communications Master’s program with a specialization in higher education marketing. I’m lucky to stay in my home state as a Mountaineer for a while longer.
Well, this is it. Can you hear me sniffling? Thanks for tuning in on my JRNY with BrandJRNY.
My name is Adrianne Uphold— but you can call me Adri. I am the public relations and media relations director for BrandJRNY’s Point Pleasant Project. I’m probably hanging out with my toothless cat, Salem. Follow me throughout our journey — @adriiaanneee.