Hi everyone! My name is Anna Lower, and I’m a recent graduate from the University of Cincinnati, where I studied Oboe Performance and Public Relations. I’m incredibly grateful to the Columbus Foundation and OYO Dance Company for giving me the opportunity to grow professionally this summer and put my PR and marketing skills to work in a meaningful, creative space!

This week kicked off my summer fellowship with the Columbus Foundation! On Monday, I had the chance to meet all the other fellows at orientation, and it was so energizing to see so many nonprofits across Columbus represented in one room. Everyone was passionate, engaged, and genuinely excited to dig into meaningful work this summer.

After orientation, I headed to OYO Dance Company for my first day and immediately felt welcomed. The team was supportive and eager to bring me into the fold. My first day was filled with onboarding materials and learning the ins and outs of the organization, from its mission and history to its upcoming programming.

By Tuesday, I hit the ground running and I got a clear look at the projects I’ll be tackling this summer. It felt a little overwhelming at first, but I realized that’s just because I already care about OYO’s mission and I want to give it my best. I started by diving into a review of OYO’s current marketing platforms, social media, websites, and digital materials, taking notes on what’s working and where we might enhance things.

One of my main projects is developing the marketing rollout for OYO’s 2025–2026 season announcement, so I’ve begun building a strategic map: identifying possible announcement dates, planning content pacing, and brainstorming ways to unify branding across campaigns. I’ve also been creating some foundational content (dancer and board member bios) to get more comfortable working full-time in Canva and Photoshop again.

Toward the end of the week, I jumped into designing early flyer drafts for upcoming events. Whether they serve as inspiration or get used directly, it’s been a fun and low-pressure way to contribute creatively and visually to the organization.

All in all, it’s been a fast-paced but incredibly rewarding first week. I’m excited to keep building out strategies, collaborating with the OYO team, and using design and storytelling to support their mission.