For my graduate assistantship at the Office of Strategic Communication, I apply many class concepts to real-world scenarios within this position and have built considerably on my writing and editing skills. 

          I obtained the assistantship in January 2022 and have currently written over 50 blogs and news articles for Missouri State University and the McQueary College of Health and Human Services, five articles for three separate Missouri State magazine publications: Missouri State Magazine, Mind’s Eye, & Advancements. I have learned to cultivate content that is geared toward a specific audience; whether that is made up of alumni, students, faculty and staff, or all of the above. Additionally, all written content is published according to AP guidelines and must be read at an eighth-grade level, so it is imperative to implement plain language and get to the point, in an a manner that is enticing to the reader. 

          Coming into the position, I was told I needed to take over the podcast, Health Queries, from the previous GA. I had never recorded, edited, or published a podcast before and had no idea where to start. However, because of my coursework and client projects, I felt excited and ready to take on the challenge. As a technical writing student, I know that there are numerous programs that I do not yet know but need to be coachable and flexible to learn. As Russell Rutter describes it, “Technical writing is one-third writing proficiency, one-third problem-solving skill, and one-third ability to work with other people” (p. 21). Technical writers must be able to adapt, as the world of technical communication is constantly changing. My GA position has been the perfect place to learn this firsthand.

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Citations:

Johnson-Eilola, Johndan, and Stuart A. Selber. Central Works in Technical Communication. Oxford University Press, 2004.