Student Outreach Coordinator

Engaging Student Sessions

I focused on developing eight engaging sessions for the student panels, ensuring each offered a clear, valuable deliverable to attendees. To bring these sessions to life, I went through everyone I knew in Mustang News to generate a comprehensive list of potential speakers, then personally reached out to confirm their interest and availability. Next was the part of the developing session, titles and descriptions to make sure each speaker was speaking to their strong suit. I coordinated the collection of speaker bios and headshots, guaranteeing a polished and professional presentation for all our student panelists. The goal was to make each session an inspiring and genuinely productive experience, fostering a sense of excitement rather than obligation for both speakers and the next generation of students.

Breaking the Feed: How Social Media is Changing Journalism

Archana Pisupati is a senior Journalism student at Cal Poly SLO with minors in MAST and EPPST. She is currently the Editor-in-Chief of Mustang News, and previously worked as the Social Media Manager and a reporter covering news, data, and investigations. She loves using journalism as a keystone to learn interesting stories and connecting with audiences.

This session will explore how journalism-focused social media strategies differ from PR and marketing content. Learn how to make news resonate on digital platforms without losing integrity, and how student newsrooms are adapting to the scroll.

I'm Gabrielle Ottaviano, an incoming third-year journalism major with a MAST minor and news concentration. My proudest accomplishment is being named Social Media Manager, which led to an incredible opportunity to travel to NYC, tour ABC Studios, and meet their digital team—an experience made possible by the Department.

Radio Party: Visibility and Community Through Play — Discover the Power Behind the Mic

A hybrid session exploring radio as a space for fun, identity, and community-building. This interactive panel will highlight how students use audio storytelling to express themselves and engage peers beyond traditional formats.

Felix Broach, aka "Kvetchy Boy" on KCPR, co-hosts and co-creator of Radio Party! Mentored by KROQ’s Klein and Ally, he’s booked and interviewed guests like Brad Williams and created video content for KCPR and KROQ, including the series In the Dirty Pit along with Radio Party! socials.

Inside the Lines: A Beat Reporter’s Guide to Insightful Sports Journalism

Hi! My name is Dylan Allen and I'm a fourth year journalism major with a minor in entrepreneurship and I’ve been on the Mustang News sports team for 2 years. After reporting as both a writer and a videographer, I’m stepping into the role of sports video editor for next years Mustang News team. I have experience in beat reporting covering many sports like wrestling, softball, baseball, tennis, basketball, cross country and swimming. I also have experience in many forms of multimedia journalism, such as photography, broadcasting, writing for print and writing for digital. Being able to cover so many different sports and experience so much at Cal Poly has been an absolute pleasure and I hope to share my experiences and the knowledge I’ve gained with those looking to do the same for Mustang News!

Learn how to go beyond game recaps with smart strategies for beat reporting—build trust with teams, find unique storylines, and bring depth to your sports coverage all season long. Sports Content Director Amanda Avila and Sports Video Director Dylan Allen, will teach you the ins-and-outs on how to cover sports at a high level!

Going Viral: A Student Guide to Podcast Growth

Discover the top 10 tips that can take your podcast from average to unforgettable. We'll break down proven strategies to grow your audience, boost engagement, and make your show stand out in a crowded market.

Ty Soria is in charge of both of KCPR's sports shows, The Gallop and Saddle Up Sports. He enjoys audio content because of it's casual relatability. He also produced, directed and hosted an early-morning live studio newscast during the Patrick's Day festivities, providing live updates, calling Mustang News reporters in the field and providing commentary.

Impact on Campus while reporting real student life: Sunrise Parties at St. Fratty’s & Dorm Room Diaries

Hi! I’m Chloe Schauermann, and I’m a journalism student with a concentration in news and a MAST minor. I'm a member of Mustang News, and work as a camera operator for ESPN+. When I'm not doing journalism, you can find me at the beach, baking, or listening to Frank Ocean.

A look at how storytelling through video and broadcast can reflect real campus experiences. Chloe and Dylan White will share how their Mustang News pieces—ranging from dorm tours to live party coverage—connect with student audiences and inspire future storytellers

Be First, Be Right: Mastering Breaking News Reporting

In breaking news, being first matters—if you’re right. This session covers how to monitor sources, verify fast, and publish efficiently to beat the competition. Learn the tools and strategies top reporters use to break stories quickly without sacrificing accuracy

Krithi Sankar is a journalism senior with a minor in ethics, public policy, science and technology. She’s been involved with Mustang News over the years and has been lucky to localize national stories to SLO. She broke the news about visa revocations at Cal Poly, with her work being cited in the visualizations from the Associated Press, NBC News and Inside Higher Ed. Krithi also covered President Jeffrey Armstrong’s appearance at a Congressional hearing.

Press Release

I built a Press Release towards the end of the quarter, ready to send out when Mustang Media Fest gets closer. In the Press Release I talked about what it is we are doing, who is coming, why we are putting the event on and a history of Cal Poly Journalism and the Jim Hayes Keynote.

I developed survey questions for PRE and POST Mustang Media Fest. Surveys are amazing by the way you gather so much information if you do it right. We listened to the students in the Pre-MMF survey, and really built their ideas to life. For the Post-MMF survey we wanted to see where we went right and wrong of course and how this can be improved and evolve year after year.

My experience working on the Mustang Media Festival through PR 415 has been one of the most formative and challenging projects of my academic career. What began as an overwhelming dive into a fast-moving project that I knew nothing about, evolved into a masterclass ( I hope) in strategic outreach, relationship building and professional persistence.

The most significant skill I developed was understanding the psychology of effective outreach. I learned that successful outreach isn't about asking people to participate; it's about recognizing their strengths and telling them why they'd excel at something specific. Instead of sending generic invitations, I researched each potential speaker and crafted personalized messages explaining exactly why they would be perfect for a particular panel. This approach transformed my response rates and taught me that people respond to confidence in their abilities. I also discovered that people genuinely want to be part of something big and evolutionary, something that helps shape the future. When reaching out to students, I found the conversations flowed naturally because this festival was ultimately designed for them. They could see the bigger purpose and wanted to contribute to something that would benefit future journalism students for years to come.

I also discovered the critical importance of consistency and adaptability in professional communications. Outreach work is inherently unpredictable, one moment you're celebrating a confirmed keynote speaker like David Kraft, and the next you're back to cold outreach for new sessions. This taught me to maintain momentum regardless of immediate outcomes and to always be prepared for the next opportunity.

Project management became second nature as I learned to balance multiple deadlines, coordinate with different teams, and maintain detailed documentation. Working with the planning team to finalize seven distinct student panels while managing speaker confirmations and writing press materials showed me how complex projects require both macro-level vision and micro-level attention to detail.

Perhaps most importantly, I learned the value of in-person relationship building. Email communication has its limits, and some of my most successful collaborations happened through face-to-face meetings with potential speakers like Dylan, Ryan, Amanda, Ava, Ty, Felix and so many more. These personal connections created trust and transparency that elevated our entire project. Connections are key if you can utilize them effectively and always listen to those that have inside vision. 

This experience has prepared me for my future career in ways I couldn't have anticipated. The festival project mimicked real-world public relations work, managing multiple stakeholders, creating compelling content under tight deadlines, and building relationships that drive results. My work securing David Kraft as a keynote speaker taught me that being the initial point of contact can be just as valuable as closing the deal, and that facilitating meaningful connections is often more important than individual credit.

The collaborative aspects of working across outreach, planning, and marketing teams prepared me for the cross-functional communication that defines modern PR work. I learned to adapt my communication style for different audiences, from enthusiastic students to established industry professionals and to maintain professionalism even when dealing with setbacks like illness or last-minute changes.

Most significantly, this project showed me that I thrive in environments that require both strategic thinking and personal connection. Whether I was developing session concepts aligned with survey data or reaching out to PRSSA for public relations representation, I discovered that my strengths lie in seeing the bigger picture while maintaining genuine enthusiasm for bringing people together around shared goals.

The Mustang Media Festival project didn't just teach me about event planning or outreach, it showed me how passion, persistence, and authentic relationship building can transform an ambitious idea into reality. These lessons will be invaluable as I enter a career where success depends not just on what you know, but on your ability to inspire others to be part of something meaningful. Thank you for believing in me Dr. Liu!