WVC student discusses what she learned building the 9/11 Spirit of America website
When college academics are balanced with relevant practical experience, students seem to flourish. That certainly was the case for Wenatchee Valley College students like Nicole Warren who teamed up to develop a marketing plan and powerful new website for the local 9/11 Spirit of America Memorial Committee.
Warren, a 2017 Cascade High School graduate who is finishing up her graphic design degree at WVC, was one of two student leaders who worked closely with the Spirit of America Committee to develop and launch organization’s new website.
She came away with a deeper appreciation for the events and impact 9/11 and also with a deeper understanding of what it takes to work closely with a client. She and the rest of the students can proudly point to their work when prospective employers want to see examples of their work.
“I’m super proud,” said Warren. “We learned things I’m going to be able to use forever,” she added. Veteran real estate professional Lisa Day was the point person for the Spirit of America Committee and worked closely with the students.
Day’s nurturing spirit and encouragement helped Warren and the rest of the students feel more ease. Working with clients, after all, can be intimidating.
Recently, the committee and students got together for a party at Brian’s Pizza in Cashmere to celebrate the launch of the new website.
Warren recalls going to the memorial site for the first time and becoming more emotional than she had anticipated. It was a moving experience to reflect on the events of that day and the impact they had on this country and on so many lives.
It is truly a powerful memorial that devoted committee members and community supporters have developed, incorporating pieces of the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.
It’s one thing to develop a powerful memorial. It’s quite another to effectively tell the story and inspire people in the community to visit and take in its messages.
That’s what the marketing plan developed by students at WVC and the new website are intended to address. How fitting it is, Day told me, that students who mostly weren’t even alive on 9/11 were given the opportunity to learn about the events and then build strategies for telling the story in new ways.
You can access the new website at 911memorialwa.org.
Warren said the students involved in the project took it very seriously and were committed to doing a great job for the Spirit of America Committee.
What a wonderful collaboration and a high-impact education experience. We can be very proud that our community college students have made such an impact.
