Written by Jasmine Hightower, Copyeditor.

The City of Valdosta honored the winning team from VSU’s social media class during a city council meeting Feb. 20. 

During the fall 2024 semester, students in the social media class taught by Dr. David Nelson worked alongside the Valdosta’s Public Information Office to create a social media campaign to increase public engagement within the Inspections Department’s online presence. 

The winning team included Aly West, Meghan Schofield and David Lee Jordan. Their campaign included creative social media strategies and engagement methods to reach diverse audiences. 

The partnership between the social media class and the city has been ongoing for nine years. Dr. Nelson wanted to provide his students with more hands-on experience so they could apply their new skills to the real world once they graduate from college. 

“I was looking to provide an experiential learning component to the class to apply what we discussed and give the students something more than just writing a paper at the end of it, and give the experience of working with clients, doing presentations, and also working in a team to make that all happen,” Dr. Nelson said. 

At the council meeting, Mayor Scott James Matheson congratulated the students on their work for the city, acknowledging their hard work and dedication. 

“The creativity and dedication these students have shown in developing social media strategies for our Inspections Department are truly commendable. Their work reflects the kind of forward-thinking engagement we strive for in our city,” Mayor Matheson said to Marketing Manager Sharah Denton. 

Rick Mefford, Inspections Manager, also acknowledged the team’s hard work and understanding about permits and inspections. 

“It was incredible to see the level of detail and thought put into these projects,” Mefford said. “The winning team’s proposal demonstrated a strong understanding of how to connect with our community through digital platforms.” 

After receiving the social media award for her team, West reflected on teamwork and the importance of partnering with the city’s Public Information office and Inspections Department. 

“I’m most proud of our curated content that was made to showcase the city of Valdosta Inspections department through multiple media outlets such as LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook,” West said. “By showcasing the Inspections department, we’ve helped shine a light on a critical local service that many people may not have fully understood or appreciated. By creating content that educates the public about the department of Inspections, residents now have the knowledge to reach out for their services.” 

Recent partnerships within the social media class also include Ben Owens Music and the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts. Dr. Nelson rotates through these partnerships to help his students gain diverse experiences and help give back to the community. 

“I think it’s important to give back to the community you live in. So this is kind of like a civic engagement thing, and helps provide, give the city a resource to where we’re not just taking but we’re giving back to others than just the city,”  Dr. Nelson said. 

The city council acknowledged all teams that participated in the campaign and looks forward to the next project. 

Photo by Jasmine Hightower, Copyeditor.