Online Effort, Offline Impact

SDSU dominates social media platforms during One Day for STATE, as students and faculty shout from the digital rooftops to attract donors to their preferred cause.

In recent years, the School of Communication and Journalism – or COJO – has reigned supreme.

COJO staff are active from midnight to midnight each annual giving day, cranking out social media posts that encourage students and alumni to get involved and give back. Leading the team of staff-turned-influencers-for-a-day are professional adviser Erica Quam and School Director Joshua Westwick.

Relying on their platforms and unique talents for telling a story, the two COJO leaders credit their genuine enthusiasm for making a difference.
 

For Westwick, he draws inspiration from his experiences at SDSU. “My life was transformed by the amazing experiences I had as a student,” he said, “and I feel fortunate to have the chance to provide similar experiences for our students.”

By creating trendy videos and crafting chuckle-inducing posts, the COJO team has found success connecting to students and donors.

The dollars specifically raised for COJO have funded trips for students to attend conferences, workshops, and other experiences. The forensics team traveled to Ireland for its first international competition with help from One Day for STATE fundraising.

“The support allows our students to say ‘YES’ to academic and co-curricular opportunities without having to stress about the cost or decline altogether for financial reasons,” Quam said.

“Being a Jackrabbit is something special,” Westwick said, “and we celebrate this in big and bold ways on One Day for STATE.”