I recently returned to the United States after spending six months traveling to improve French and Spanish language skills abroad.
- Social Media, Bavaro Hostel, Punta Caña, Dominican Republic — May 2014 to June 2014
Lived and worked with the only hostel in Punta Caña as an editor of social media.
- English Language Tutor, Paris, France — Jan. 2014 to May 2014
Lived with French family and helped teenage students practice English grammar and pronunciation.
Professional Experience:
Freelance Copywriter, Celanese — Sept. 2014 to Present
Celanese is a global producer of the chemicals that make up our world, from sweeteners to car parts.
- Work with global communications director on launching internal health and wellness website for employees and their families.
- Develop an editorial strategy and manage an editorial calendar.
- Create and edit digital content related to health, fitness and financial wellness.
Regional Content Editor, Patch.com {AOL/Huffington Post Media Group} — April 2013 to Oct. 2013
Patch.com was a collection of 900 local news websites across the nation and a key part of The Huffington Post Media Group.
- Developed digital content and social media strategy to support 11 news websites.
- Interviewed politicians, artists, activists and business owners for feature stories.
- Mined web and social media for user-generated content using popular social sites like YouTube, Instagram, Flickr + Vine.
- Collaborated with website editors to ensure compelling and engaging content on each site.
- Initiated and maintained detailed, region-wide spreadsheets to plan and track all content initiatives.
Local Editor, Patch.com, {AOL/Huffington Post Media Group} — July 2010 to April 2013
Patch.com was a collection of 900 local news websites across the nation and a key part of The Huffington Post Media Group.
- Sole manager of daily operations for two community websites in a Washington, DC suburb.
- Developed and continually revised digital content and social media strategy based on community values and all available data.
- Recruited, trained and managed 10 freelance writers or photographers.
- Created, nurtured and organized digital community through strategic community management on the sites and via social media.
- Maintained balanced budget for all website content and costs.
Assistant Editor, Sister 2 Sister magazine, Washington, DC region — Jan. 2009 to Aug. 2009
Sister 2 Sister is a national magazine and website geared toward young woman.
- Researched and pitched story ideas for lifestyle sections.
- Managed 12 freelance writers, including fielding pitches, assigning stories and processing payment.
- Interviewed celebrities, artists, activists and media personalities for feature stories.
- Increased site traffic with strategic use of SEO, social media and feeds to blogs.
Freelance Editor/Producer, Parents.com and Delish.com, New York — May 2008 to Dec. 2008
Delish.com and Parents.com are national consumer websites, for food and parents, respectively.
- Interviewed health and fitness experts for feature stories on Parents.com.
- Built Web tools and wrote articles for SEO on Delish.com.
Account Management Intern, Translation LLC, New York — Jan. 2008 to May 2008
Translation is a boutique marketing and advertising firm with high-profile clients; co-owned by Jay-Z.
- Full-time intern for two major departments: Account Management and Strategy
- Responsible for organizing and leading team brainstorms
- Communicated ideas and strategy to executives and clients
- Organized and lead focus groups in preparation for client pitches
- Integral part of several product launches including Wrigley’s Slim Packs, McDonald’s McCafe and DKNY Be Delicious Night fragrance
Editorial Intern, Capitol File, Essence and Heart & Soul magazines — Jan. 2006 to May 2007
- Completed three magazine editorial internships while an undergraduate student.
- Worked with editors to fact-check copy, research special packages and report features.
- Reported short features for the websites of both Capitol File and Heart & Soul
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, Howard University, Washington, DC — May 2007
- Legacy Scholar
- Dean’s List
- President, National Association of Black Journalists—Howard University Chapter
Skills:
- Print and digital content strategy
- Reporting, writing and blogging
- Social media strategy and social media content
- Line editing, copy editing and proofreading
- HTML, Adobe Photoshop and InDesign
- Constant Contact and email marketing
- Google Adwords, Google Analytics, Omniture and web traffic data
- WordPress, Drupal and custom Content Management Systems (CMS)
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)