About Me
I am an American communication professional based in Berlin, Germany currently working as Communications Coordinator at Bard College Berlin. I began as Communications Assistant in September 2023 and was promoted to Coordinator in October 2024.
Concurrently, I am an M.A. candidate completing my Master’s degree in Strategic Communication through the University of Akron in an online, part-time capacity.
A public relations and advertising graduate from Loyola University Chicago, I have a passion for strategic communication and marketing, particularly in the realm of digital and social media. With marketing and communication experience in both agency and nonprofit environments, I'm particularly interested in the ways social media and other digital channels can be used to build authentic relationships and engage communities.
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In my free time, I'm interested in travel and cultivating a lifestyle of constant learning: I have visited 40 countries and counting, and I'm currently studying German at the B2 level. I love to read, particularly narrative nonfiction, and I'm always trying a new recipe or fitness activity!
In my current role at Bard College Berlin, a German-American nonprofit liberal arts university, I contribute to communicating the college’s mission, initiatives, and events to both internal and external audiences. I write engaging news articles featuring faculty contributions in academia and the arts, as well as college events (see more in my portfolio). I also contribute to public relations campaigns for college events open to external audiences; I build media lists, pitch to media, and invite media contacts to events. Events include EU- and publicly-funded projects. I compose the college's twice-weekly e-newsletter promoting on- and off-campus events to students, faculty, and staff; I am a key contributor to Bard College Berlin's social media presence on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Facebook; I design posters and graphic materials utilizing Adobe Photoshop and InDesign for both print and digital use; and I directly supervise a team of 2 part-time events assistants to work on-campus events.
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During my time in Chicago, I worked as Marketing & Social Media Associate and Social Media Team Lead at inQbate, a Chicago-based marketing agency for small businesses. I worked primarily with local business clients to develop marketing strategies utilizing social media and influencer marketing. I led a team of 5 Marketing Associates on 2 primary client accounts as Social Media Lead. I also managed inQbate’s internal Instagram and LinkedIn profiles, managed a social media calendar, and produced copy and graphic design content for social media use. I worked closely with clients by pitching, conducting exploratory meetings, drafting proposals, and sending invoices.
Previously, I have interned at C|Louise Public Relations, a boutique PR agency in Chicago. In this role, I assisted in pitching to media outlets and influencers to secure earned media placements and influencer partnerships for clients, I monitored client media coverage and compiled regular reports, and I wrote social media copy for multiple client accounts.
I have also interned at Feeding America's National Office, in which I worked on projects throughout the Communications & Community Engagement Department serving 200 food banks across the country. I composed a biweekly digital newsletter to an audience of nearly 9,000, assisted in PR and media projects for corporate donors, and utilized Microsoft SharePoint software to support internal communication.
In addition, I worked as Marketing & Communications Intern at Chicago's Edgewater Chamber of Commerce. I managed the Chamber's social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to a combined audience of 8,000 with demonstrated growth. I conducted interviews with local business owners, wrote long-form blog content, and composed the weekly digital newsletter to an audience of over 3,000 community members.
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I can be contacted by email at sophiapaudel@gmail.com
