My Story

Steph Lee is a bundle of energy moonlighting as a dancer, writer, blogger, and college student. When not pondering life’s nuances, she

• designs media marketing initiatives and social media campaigns
• works on her upcoming podcast project
• mentors kids with the I Have A Dream’ Foundation
• volunteers for Catalystic Cadence Collective, a non profit visceral arts company on a PR & Marketing Consultant capacity
• skips classes to go to Boulder Bookstore
• dances 18 hours per week on average
• attends numerous networking groups and social media workshops/conferences
• researches voraciously on controversial social enterprise initiatives ranging from Grameen Bank to Wikileaks
• and…tries to finish her homework on time.

She is currently doing one thing everyday for 180 days, that ‘scares’ her; she writes about those Fear Challenges at initiative180. She also keeps another personal blog over here.  

She also spoke about those fears at Ignite Boulder' 12 in front of 1000 people..or so.

Despite her best intentions to contribute to society in as many ways as she can, she gets side tracked a lot by

• blogs
• books
• Ted Talks, podcasts of all sorts
• swing dancers
• the Twitterverse.

Go ahead and Distract her @nuancechaser .

Resume

SKILL SET

'Hard' Skills

1) Social Media : Intermediate/Advanced

2) HTML, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Design : Basic/Intermediate

3) Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access : Advanced

4) CSS, Javascript, Dreamweaver : Basic

'Soft' Skills

1) Networking and Optimizing Profits - Intermediate

2) Project Planning, Organizing, Execution, and Follow up - Intermediate/Advanced

3) Writing, Keeping up with the trends, and Community Building - Intermediate

4) Public Speaking - Intermediate. I've spoken at Ignite Boulder '12 and several guest lectures since. For more on my speaking experience, please email me for a seperate resume.

5) Sitting down still - Have yet to master this.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Media Marketing Intern, Push Io.

Duties include : Designing and implementing a media marketing campaign and restructuring the company's approach to their current and potential clientale, taking care of the everyday media marketing/advertising tasks - Twitter & Facebook accounts.

January 2011 - Present.

Teaching Assistant for INVS 4919, Teaching Social Justice

Duties include : Coordinatoring a sustainable mentorship program for 80 at risk, high school youth, with the 'I Have A Dream' Foundation.

January 2010 - December 2010

PR & Marketing Director/ Company Member (volunteer), Catelystic Cadence Collective

Duties include: Managing the daily PR & Marketing duties for a non profit visceral arts company in Colorado, social media monitoring, coordinatoring events for community outreach and classes.

http://www.catalysticcadencecollective.org/

January 2010 - present (on a volunteer capacity)

Social Media/PR & Marketing Intern. Beyond Credentials.

Duties include : Researching, Media pitching, Monitoring and recording media coverage, Writing and editing, Social media monitoring and updating, Coordinating PR programs, special events and contests, Participating in client meetings, Community outreach

January 2010 - Aug 2010

PR & Marketing Intern, Schiff Dance Collective

August 2009 - December 2009

Duties included :

Duties include : Assisting in the planning of dance outreach events and fundraising, promoting the dance company through the media, writing press releases, and assisting in general administration, PR & Marketing activities.

Content & Programming Strategist, Education Department. ( Intern ) Astro All Asia Networks

June 2009 – August 2009

Duties included :

Duties included: Active research and Planning content for the new startup education channel, commissioning local productions and actively involving myself in the creative process of producing a TV programme, promoting TV programmes, organizing on-ground events, designing merchandise, maintaining the TV channel’s website.

Teaching Assistant for DNCE 1027 ( Dance & Culture ) for Professor Onye Ozuzu

May 2009 ( Intensive 3 week program )

Duties included :

Duties included: Research on the impact of culture on dance and vice versa, conducting quizzes for students, research and contribution to lesson plans, assisting teaching guests and various administration activities.

Marketing and Promotions Intern, Boulder Bookstore

April 2009 - June 2009

Duties included : Sales and marketing strategy and research , assisting with author events, in-store display, promotional mailings, flyer distribution, writing press releases, and conducting administrative tasks.

Administration assistant, Walk the Talk Sdn Bhd

Jan 2007- July 2008.

Duties included : Data collection and analysis, scheduling, filing, updating the company website, creating flyers/brochures.

PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES

Elaina Verveer, Lafayette Youth Advisory Board Director, Director of INVS Community Studies Program

elaina.verveer@colorado.edu

Cliff Patterson, Company Director/President, Catalystic Cadence Collective.

cliff@catalysticcadencecollective.org

Andy O Dower, Founder, Beyond Credentials. andy@beyondcredentials.com

Yasmin Megat Assistant Vice President, Head of Education Department Astro All Asia Networks, Malaysia Yasmin_megat@astro.com.my  

Erika Randall  Professor of Dance, CU Theatre & Dance Department erika.randall@colorado.edu    

Wong Khai Hoong Advertizing Executive/Copywriter Volvo Cars, Malaysia. Kwong23@volvocars.com    

EDUCATION

BA Dance BS Journalism BA Sociology, June 2012.    

Most recent GPA : 3.86/4.00

Malaysian Certificate of Education (High school diploma),    13 High Distinctions    

AWARDS

Talent Award, CU Dance Department.     Dec 2008, Dec 2009, Dec 2010

Chancellor’s Leadership Achievement Scholarship    Aug 2008, Aug 2009, Aug 2010

Astro Scholarship Award       Jan 2008    

CURRENT INTERESTS

Travelling, volunteering and service learning, swing dancing, African drumming.

Accomplishments

Professional Accomplishments :

I have obtained 5 internships in 2.5 years, both in for profit and non profit organizations. I'm also interning with Push Io, an established name in the Iphone App industry and doing what I love; blogging and social media!

Community Accomplishments :

I've been tutoring children between ages 9 and 12 in science using the creative mediums of art and dance since 2009. 

I'm also a peer mentor and support coach for the Public Achievement program at Centaurus High School, Lafayette, CO. I've been working with the 'I Have A Dream' foundation since 2009 to support unprivileged youth in their academic/career paths.

I spoke at Ignite 12 Boulder, a speaking event designed to enlighten, inspire, and teach. Speakers are challenged to do all 3 in exactly 5 minutes and 20 slides. My speech was very well received in front of 900-1000 people.

I am also working on a podcast project with Michael Sitazewski, an established leader in the podcast industry with his company Calisto.fm.  This project intends to revolutionize the podcast industry.

My Initiative180 blog obtained 200 readers within the first 30 days of its' inception and I continue to support my readers in facing their fears.

Personal Accomplishments :

I dance semi professionally with the University of Colorado Boulder's dance department; I perform 2-3 concerts every semester. I also juggle 20 credits every semester along with my internships, volunteer work, and dance commitments.

I am a certified Hatha yoga teacher, avid rock climber, and have just started competing in swing dance competitions. 

I am also helping to finance my sister's private high school/junior college education.

My Personality

References

Elaina Verveer

Program Director, Youth Advisory Committee of the City of Lafayette

everveer1@aol.com

Erika Randall

Assistant Professor of Dance, CU Theatre & Dance Department

Erika.randall@colorado.edu

Amy Herdy.

CU Independent Advisor & Professional Journalist.

Amy.herdy@colorado.edu

Dean L Colby, MBA  Journalism

Journalism Lecturer, University of Colorado at Boulder

Dean.colby@colorado.edu

Andy O' Dower

Founder of Beyond Credentials

andy@beyondcredentials.com

Writing Samples

My Car Accident Epiphany

“ How can you not know what you want? “

I often found myself scoffing at undergraduates entering college as 'open option'. My education had followed the British model, with its rigid curricula and well defined paths, and such indecision was weakness in my eyes. Yet I took a gap year to revise my career aspirations despite offers from top-ranking local colleges. When aspiring dancers my age were making their debut on the main stage, I was just starting to learn the Charleston and Jazz walks. Upon entering university as a dance major, I’ve found myself straying away from my comfort zone and defying myself with classes I never thought I’d do well in, in addition to activities like rock climbing and aerial dance despite my nauseous fear of heights. It would be convenient for me to stick to my path and stop all the sleepless nights of soul searching, but what kind of life would I lead without constant reflection and reevaluation? Today, after I miraculously escaped from a car accident with just 2 puncture wounds and several bone abrasions ( a possible head injury? I’ll find out tomorrow), I’ve reached yet another crucial decision. I want to leave the University of Colorado Boulder in 3 years with a double major in Dance and Journalism and a minor in Technology Arts and Media.

It would be convenient if I could tearfully say I’d always wanted to contribute great things to the growingly corrupt world through a journalist's gatekeeper role but was denied that by some cruel twist of Fate. Firstly I don’t believe in Fate, I believe in Choice, and secondly, no, it had never occurred to me to consider a double major. I was a self confessed ‘movement slut’. I lusted over beautifully crafted dances; they made me weak in my knees better than Romeo and Fabian combined. I could spend hours and hours analyzing a movement, a particular dance piece, and the culture from which it stems. I’m equally addicted to the adrenaline rush of dancing in front of a live audience; every semester, I juggle an 18 credit course load on average and 8 – 10 hours of voluntary service weekly but rehearsals and performances were the center piece of my time.

Upon arriving at CU, I threw myself into everything the dance department offered. I pushed myself to perform in four major department concerts despite nursing a minor spinal injury and assist in numerous community outreach activities. I also took as many upper division classes as possible, crafted papers arguing the use of dance to sell bedroom products in a graduate level class my sophomore year and volunteered as a T.A for an intensive summer dance program. Nevertheless, the more I delved into the dance world, the increasingly dissatisfied I became at young dancers and their disengagement with the local community. I also became aware of other problems in the dance circle, like the lack of funding, the discord within the community, and the exploitation of dance as a solely economic property. Little by little, I began to see that in the larger scheme of things, what artists/dancers truly needed was someone to harness their creativity and bridge the gap between the dance, media, and business communities.  Many countries now see creative industries as a key competitive advantage in the globalised economy.  Ideas and imagination have become valuable assets and drivers of economic opportunities and growth; I became intrigued with the idea of creating a unique people-private-public collaborative platform providing various levels of support, including facilitation and funding, and restructuring the social business model of non-profit arts organizations. I slowly began to detect where I could find my niche: a lobbyist for non-profit arts organizations and cultural philanthropy in the corporate CSR agenda.

But where would I find the skills necessary to achieve my grand dreams? My answer came this past summer: during a grueling 8 weeks of interning with a Malaysian media conglomerate. I remember being distinctly uncomfortable my first day when my boss introduced me as the company scholar. Her very words were: “ This is Stephanie, our company scholar. Teach her all you can because she’s going to be working with us as part of her 5 year bond after graduation”. You can imagine the snickers that went around as I blushed profusely and quickly busied myself with asking my new co-workers for tasks to do.

The corporate culture was absolutely alien to me then but how I loved working amidst established and experienced media professionals! I relished the opportunity to execute a million dollar venture with a colleague and handle every stage of it, from slaving over the business proposal to closing the deal. After my teammates left for Happy Hour on Fridays, I’d stay back in the office to read up and research on critical media theory and different media business models. My professional mentors took note of my enthusiasm and promoted me to the Content Strategy and Programming department; within 2 weeks I was working with people who controlled the media content of Malaysian TV channels as well as several key decision makers of the company’s PR, Marketing, and Advertizing. Their sheer confidence at my capabilities still astounds me to this day. I began to see the media business in a new light and rapidly became interested in studying and enhancing it, being the media architect rather than the media reporter.

What I admired most about the corporate media culture I was exposed to was the efficiency of it all. My colleagues fascinated me with their sharp proficiency at negotiating, organizing, and executing a project. Quite rapidly, I realized the abundance of knowledge and skills I could gain by studying and working in the media industry, not to mention the wealth of influential and like-minded people I’d meet. I fell in love with marketing research, model building, problem solving, and data analyzing. It hit my head that studying the media in a critical light would bring with it an essential and relevant understanding of the contemporary world, a set of skills and knowledge that are universally applicable. What I want to achieve in life is a dream far bigger than myself, far bigger than anything I’ve ever dared to dream of. I don’t want to live life in the comfort zone; there isn’t a lack of talent in the dance world, there is a lack of talented people to manage them and encourage their efforts. I am a capitalist at heart and fully intend to make full use of my journalism degree to restructure the social business model of non-profit arts organizations as well as employ my knowledge of the media industry to promote cultural corporate social responsibility as the top agenda for economic growth. Perhaps I’ll never become the dancer I wanted to be once upon a time but I am not afraid to sacrifice that dream. My personal journey for direction in college has been fraught with twists and turns, but I believe I'm finally seeing a way out of this morass. Oscar Wilde (bless his heart) once said " We're all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars."