Jaxson Whittle

Major: Political Science

Certificate: Digital Studies

Graduation Date: December 2020

How did you end up working at Kivvit?

I graduated in Fall of 2020 during the height of the pandemic and moved out to DC to pursue a job. I had a number of internships working in legislative offices in Wisconsin and abroad, nonprofits (mostly in Wisconsin), and on a Wisconsin gubernatorial campaign with a general focus on communications and research work. Because of my past work, I was able to land a traineeship with Kivvit and after 6 months was promoted to my current position as a full-time public affairs associate.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

I work with a variety of clients (anywhere from 5-10 at a time) to support their communications and public affairs needs. That can involve everything from handling daily client communications to writing press releases and social media content to conducting media outreach. Depending on the client, I’ll work on a team of 3-6 people at a variety of organizational levels. My clients also vary widely by sector with everything from healthcare to tech to trade associations and non-profits. Generally the clients are government/politics adjacent (as we’re based out of DC) but not always. My goal is to help clients tell their story through content creation and enacting public relations campaigns.

How has Digital Studies influenced your career path?

I think that Digital Studies has both given me the practical tools as well as the critical skills to help my career. I’ve always loved media and communications but to pursue a career in it you have to have a good sense of the landscape. Through my Digital Studies courses, I was able to explore the different facets that digital media has to offer and found the right niche for me.

Did you have a favorite Digital Studies class when you were a student?

I loved Communication Arts 155: Introduction to Digital Media Production as I think it allowed me to create and better critique media. I specifically remember creating a short podcast for the class which was a fun challenge and gave me a better understanding into the process. Now I occasionally work with podcast producers and know what they’re looking for in terms of story and how to create a soundscape.

Do you have any advice for current students?

Find ways to get involved outside classes and make connections with other students and faculty. It’s not always what you know but who you know!

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career thus far?

I helped to write and place an op-ed in USA Today on behalf of one of our criminal justice reform non-profits. We spoke with their founder and were able to pull out details for a story around Christmas and her experience not growing up with a father as he was incarcerated. We took those details and crafted a story alongside one of USA Today’s opinion editors that was eventually published during the holiday season. It was a powerful opportunity to hear first hand what that experience was like and it became a moving opinion piece that I was grateful to work on.