March 2021

So far for my research I have interviewed Haley Anderson, Analyzed their instagram page, and conducted a survey to send out to the Mpower GroupMe to further understand how they communicate. I still need to analyze their facebook page as well as their website. I am working on my rough draft so I am trying to get it all done. The only concerns that I have is that there is so much information I am a little concerned about compiling it all. I don’t want to leave out important information, but there are so many parts of the research I am trying to compile it without making it too long. The interviews have gone really well. I think the past two major papers have also helped me write my research paper. I have already done almost all of the research. I really understand this discourse community and how it works inside and out. The sutori also really helped me think about this discourse community and what leadership communities are about. 

Interview with Haley Anderson Mpower Assistant Director 

 

Question 1- How did you become a member of this community and what were the steps?

 

Haley- Yea, I was hired at the University of Mississippi in May of 2019, and I started on July 1st. One of the things that excited me the most about this job was the aspect of Mpower being an opportunity for growth within leadership programming here at Ole Miss, and my background is in extended orientation programs. I worked as a graduate assistant for an extended orientation that welcomed all incoming students that had about 2,000 participants; it was called Leadership Safari.

 

Taylor- Oh wow

 

Haley– So that was my whole two years of grad school was doing that work and I was excited and really eager to find a position that could really transfer those skill sets so I was kind of in that unique position of taking that program that was already in existence form for incoming students that wasn’t really at that step of being an extended orientation experience and I got to do that which was really exciting. Which was actually the first program that I did whenever I got here. It was a quick hurry up and get here three weeks later here’s your first program hop on it. So, it’s been really cool to see how you asked about a community you know that is truly what it is and being able to create a community out of that what was a fifty person program is now involved in a fifty person staff with 400 students participants and growing. It has been really cool to be a part of. Such a large aspect of my job is molding that community and what that can look like in the future. 

 

Taylor– That is awesome. I love this program

 

Haley– Aw

 

Taylor– Question 2- During the hiring process did you have to write an essay, answer questions, or an in person interview?

 

Haley– Yes, so my process for the position was I submitted my application and my resume through the University of Mississippi’s hiring process in Hr. It was pretty standard for a full time staff hiring process. I did a phone interview. Then, I came to campus for an all day campus visit. So I flew in from Michigan and I met with all of the staff and there was like a case student component to my interview day and also they had me present on a new leadership program that I would like to introduce to campus. A lot of different components to it.

 

Taylor– That sounds awesome but also a little nerve wracking presenting your idea in front of everyone on your first day of seeing the campus.

 

Taylor– Question 3- Who is in charge of the media and how was that established?

 

Haley– Yea, so the media for Mpower right now Caroline Beach is our student coordinator for the program and um she last year really just took that under her wing and put it out there to all the student staff to see who was interested and she really took it and ran with it and this year she is transitioning into being a student director because she has a lot of other program responsibilities so overall staff management she has created a social media committee. They have been doing everything. They took our facebook page which did not really have anything going on with it and grew that and created tik tok content to reach those incoming students because that is where they are going to be at going to be on tik tok and instagram more than tik tok.

 

Taylor– For sure

 

Haley– They really have just been creating a brand for Mpower which I think is really exciting because it represents a student voice representing that.

 

Taylor– I like how the community is how you get to show everyone is just having fun and it’s about friendship and building those relationships.

 

Taylor– Question 4-  How does this program primarily communicate? 

 

Haley– Externally or internally?

 

Taylor– Both. For instance how would you communicate with someone who is a peer coordinator or leader versus a participant.

 

Haley– I think that our communication structure as far as how we communicate and structure our staff is really I guess like the program as a whole is like a peer to peer. I very much believe that coming in as a staff member not being at that student lens is really important for me overseeing the program that we do have most of the content and the experience and the community to be really driven by the students voice. So, within the staff we have our two student directors and then our Mpower Peer Coordinators. So, those peer coordinators kind of really serve as a mentor to the mentors and really develop those relationships in that community and have their fun group names just create that sense of community and fun while also talking about serious topics. Communication with participants is also a peer to peer process. I would rather you hear things from a peer who is walking that path with you. So the peer mentor processes that small group environment where we place students in that small group of no more than eight to give them a space to where they feel comfortable and confident and not a large group to where they feel like they can hide in the background. We really intentionally create those sub groups within the larger community of Mpower so that there is that sense of commodore and individuality. I want students to come in and feel like their uniqueness can contribute rather than assimilate.

 

Taylor– I really love that I love how you guys emphasize that I always tell people that Mpower wants everyone to feel included and everyone to know that they bring something to the table.

 

Haley– Yes! That is the idea 

 

Taylor– Question 5- Who do you consider an authority figure in this community?

 

Haley– I think that we have a really good shared power distribution. Like technically I am in that adult role but at the same time to me the program it is important to really give our student staff and student leaders the tools to really push the program forward. Like I am here to give structure and give curriculum and do what we need to do to make it happen from a management side of things but the magic happens between those one on one interactions between students. So, I think that authority is more like the shared distribution of power amongst our students which is also transmitted to the student participants to give them the confidence and the space as well. We are really like a flat organization that is how our and how I imagine continuing sharing the power amongst the group. 

 

Taylor– Question 6-  How has your role in this community shaped or changed your life? 

 

Haley– It is a really special thing to be able to come in and you know create a five year growth plan for this program I really believe in extended orientation program and what it can do for not only students on an individual level but what it can do for campus community as a whole it is such a unique time and a credible time to reach new students and give them everything they need and that tone setting to make sure that they come in and have the best experience possible. So that is like a special thing and I am just really grateful that this is just such a significant aspect of my job that I just get to show up and work everyone and know that that’s the end goal for us to create a structured environment that’s uplifting for all students who come into it. The students come and go so I think that it is their responsibility as staff to create, advise, and support these programs and organizations that students while they are here give them the opportunity to leave a legacy and leave that legacy from year to year and help see sustained growth with programs such as MPower. 

 

Taylor– That is awesome that you get to do that. You are a great leader and it shows!

 

Haley– Aw, Thank you so much!

 

Taylor– I have an idea we are suppose to conduct research the genres of communication I had an idea to send a survey to our group me if that would be okay

 

Haley– Absolutely!

 

Taylor– Just asking a couple of questions

 

Taylor– Later on we have a multimedia project I had an idea about, but is there anything that you would specifically like me to do for your program. I noticed on the YouTube there hasn’t been a lot of things posted so I thought of maybe if you wanted collect videos from students asking their name and what their favorite thing about Mpower is and pictures and fun activities that you guys have done and compile them into an updated YouTube video or just anything that you need in any area.

 

Haley- Yea, I love that. I think that is something that we definitely need. Caroline put a little intro of Mpower video. She might even have some stock stuff for you to use. You can absolutely reach out to any participants or current staff and I think that would be awesome. Just loop Caroline in because I think that she would be the best resource in terms of what we currently have and log in information and all of that kind of stuff. She is a keeper of all social media right now. I love the idea for the survey. I think that is so helpful and can be so useful for Instagram or anything like that would be awesome.

 

Taylor- Perfect I will definitely be reaching out to her soon. Before I post the video I will send it to you just to make sure that it is exactly the way that you want Mpower represented. That is all of the questions that I had. Thank you so much again for taking the time to meet with me and do this. 

 

Haley– Of course it was my pleasure and thank you so much for doing this!