This year, The Echo welcomes a new face to its leadership team. Jalan Washington, a senior mass communication major, steps into the role of social media manager with hopes to learn, grow, and make a difference while representing Southern Nazarene University’s newspaper.
Washington’s journey with The Echo began during his freshman year when his love for creative writing inspired him to join the newspaper as a staff writer. While he originally only enjoyed writing fiction-like stories, he quickly discovered a new love for campus journalism. The opportunity to tell meaningful stories about the SNU community excites him. “I thought I could write any story I wanted,” Washington conveyed with a laugh. “But after writing stories about SNU, I quickly grew to enjoy telling the stories happening around campus.”
When the opportunity to join The Echo’s leadership team came to light, Washington spent time reflecting on the decision before deciding to apply. “I gave it a lot of thought and prayer before applying,” he stated. “I realized that if I did not take the chance during my senior year, I would regret not trying.” Although stepping into a new position is out of Washington’s comfort zone, he knew that he did not want to end his college career without trying.
For him, his faith has been the most important part of his journey. He credits God with giving him the confidence and courage to apply. “God blessed me with this opportunity, and I want to do my very best in this position,” Washington reflected.
As the new social media manager, Washington plans to strengthen The Echo’s online presence by creating unique graphics, engaging captions, and posts that encourage the students to interact with the platform. “I want our posts to grab the attention of our readers,” he explained. “Our team is going to create engaging stories, and I want more people to read them. Everyone will be able to find something interesting, relatable, or meaningful.”
As graduation approaches for Washington, he hopes to pursue a career in journalism as a producer while remaining open to wherever God directs his path. Until then, Washington plans to focus on being a beneficial factor to The Echo, his classes, and all things in between. His senior year will be filled with creativity, meaningful engagement, and a stronger connection between the newspaper and the SNU community.
Photos by: MaK Wilkerson