On March 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Strategic Media Club hosted their bake sale on the first floor of the D.P. Student Culp Center where they sold chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cake pops and vanilla cupcakes in hopes of gathering money for their business-based trip to Orlando, Florida in the spring.
The trip is focused on enriching the club members’ involvement in their future careers and media knowledge as they gain first-hand experience by visiting institutions such as Make-A-Wish, Disney and ESPN.
Skylar Porter, treasurer and project manager of the Strategic Media Club, overlooks the outreach and activity planning aspect. Reserving a spot in the D.P. Culp Student Center, the club set up the bake sale to gain funds for their transportation and other traveling necessities while giving back to the community with sweet treats. Due to a lack of funding through BucFund, the club turned to hosting a fundraising event where they could also serve students in return.
Striving to get the club connected to their careers and future employers, the group’s goal is to start getting involved in the outside world outside of college to begin their employment journey.
“We’re planning on going to those organizations and bringing back things that we learned there to be able to integrate on campus and share with our fellow media and communication students,” Porter said.
In order to make this trip possible, Porter mentioned there was a need for quick cash and got the idea of a bake sale. Although looking at partnering with local restaurants in the future, the treats served were home-baked by the club.
Giving the club an opportunity to be well-adjusted in their future professions, the main goal of the expedition is to ground the members in their skills and make connections with future employers, Porter mentioned. Making the visits possible with graduated alumni, the club was able to get access to fruitful initiatives in their paths although being a smaller club of eight members.
“We really enjoy being able to make these connections and meet these people because a lot of the times it is about who you know and the connections that you have, and it is difficult to create those without opportunities and experiences like this [the trip],” said Porter.
Working for the success of the club, its members and ETSU, the Strategic Media Club has made its visions bright for the future.
For more information on the Strategic Media Club, visit their Instagram at @etsu_smc.
