Twitter. I began implementing #ExceptionalPlanning on the social media channels, where I highlight articles that describe ways to achieve the best results for both caregivers and children with disabilities through effective planning. I am incredibly excited to be able to attend this year's Abilities Expo, where my "EP for Free" graphic will be on display. Not only am I excited to showcase my work, but I am even more thrilled to meet all of the remarkable people who will also be in attendance.

I have absolutely loved getting to schedule posts and dive deeper into the analytics side of things. Pulling metrics used to be something that scared me a bit, but I have grown to absolutely love it! It makes me feel immensely proud to see the organic posts Joe and I have put together do so well. Lastly, I am planning to integrate writing media pitches to inspiring influencers to share the magazine with their followers, as well as continue writing for Exceptional Parent Magazine. Overall, my experience this semester has been an extraordinary one and I am so thankful for this opportunity.

JOE'S STORY

I am majoring in Communication and Media Studies and hope to work somewhere in public relations, in either the entertainment or travel industry. I am thrilled to be part of Exceptional Parent Magazine, working alongside my collaborator, Jenna, to help increase publicity of the magazine. This is done through Hawk Communications, which I am taking for a second time. Hoping to get an internship at least once during my time at MSU, I found about this class when picking classes for my Fall 2022 semester, and felt this was the real-world type of experience I was looking for. After learning so much from it in the Fall, I registered for this class again this semester with the goal of getting more real-world experience before graduating in May.

“I WAS INTERESTED IN OFFERING MY ASSISTANCE IN SPREADING AWARENESS OF DISABILITIES VIA EP MAGAZINE, HAVING HAD FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE OF BEING SOMEBODY WITH A DISABILITY.”

During Faye’s presentation at the beginning of this semester, I was hooked when I heard I would learn about branding, public relations, and writing media pitches and press releases. Throughout the semester I have been doing my part to increase the publicity of the magazine and EP for Free via social media. I created #Spotlight Sunday that is posted each week on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, recognizing someone who does not let their disability stop them from doing what they enjoy and may be an inspiration to others. I am learning more about social media management by doing these types of posts, as well as others. Attending the Abilities Expo in May, with Faye, will be a milestone for everything I have learned while working with EP Magazine and about its goals. In addition to that, I feel this event will be helpful with my desire to improve my ability to network with others and gain more confidence when attending networking events and opportunities.

At a young age, I was diagnosed with both Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Growing up, my parents tried getting the proper resources they needed to help support me. The amount of content pertaining to ASD, ADHD, and other hidden disabilities were scarce, compared to the content anybody can find today. Early into the Spring semester, I was introduced to Exceptional Parent

Magazine, a hub for all things disability that I wish I had throughout my adolescence. As a result, this client stuck out to me among the options. I was interested in offering my assistance in spreading awareness of disabilities via EP Magazine, and felt I could be helpful, having had first-hand experience of being somebody with a disability.

Coming into Montclair State, I was unsure of my career path. That all changed however, when I began taking public relations classes, and have grown fond of it. Since last semester, I have been taking all that I have learned from the public relations classes to create content, with a particular interest in graphic design. After becoming more used to creating content, I hope to use my prowess in helping my clients become more successful. I thank my equally passionate and creative partner, Jenna, and like Jenna, also thank Professor Keith Green and Faye Simon for this wonderful opportunity. Jenna and I are looking into getting the word out about the magazine and EP for Free via working with other organizations and possible speaking engagements.

"I was thrilled that Professor Green invited me to participate with the Hawk Communications project for EP Magazine," said Faye Simon, Editor In Chief. "I enjoyed presenting to his class and could not be happier with the students he paired me with. Jenna and Joe are passionate about helping get the word out about EP Magazine and EP for Free (anyone interested can read the digital version as well as receive the newsletter for free). They have already made a difference in EP Magazine's presence on social media. They are smart, creative, responsive, open to suggestions, have a good work ethic, take the project seriously, and are a pleasure to work with. When they graduate, anyone who hires them will have made a great choice!"

IN CONCLUSION

We share the same goal of wanting to shed light on those who have various disabilities and to help increase awareness and acceptance of them. We hope to continue Exceptional Parent Magazine's legacy of helping parents, teachers and caregivers grow, learn, and communicate well with special needs children. Thanks to Hawk Communications, we have already learned so much, and have applied it to help market the magazine and the fact it can be read for free to targeted audiences. We are forever grateful for this opportunity and cannot wait to attend the Abilities Expo with Faye next month. •

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Jenna Jenkins is a senior at Montclair State University graduating this spring. She will walk away with a degree in Communication and Media with a minor in English. Jenna has previously written for Montclair State's school newspaper, The Montclarion and was interviewed by MSU's streaming service, Hawkplus. She has been part of clubs and organizations such as greek life, relay for life and marketing club. With graduation just around the corner, Jenna can't help but be immensely excited to travel and fulfill her dreams and aspirations in her future career. Joe Wissner is a senior attending Montclair State University where he will graduate in the spring. He is majoring in Communication and Media Studies and hopes to work somewhere in public relations in either the entertainment or travel industries. Joe has previously worked for Hawk+, Montclair State's very own streaming service via his first semester with Hawk Communications. After two semesters working with two different clients, Joe hopes to use his experiences in public relations to pursue a full-time career.