Ava Kirchmann’s first time at Boise State was in March 2021 for a campus tour. “I actually got to see seasons for the first time ever,” Kirchmann, a California native, recalled. It was also the beginning of an academic journey that would give her a diverse skill set and an opportunity to make real change for an organization she cared about.
Kirchmann is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English Teaching, a program offered through the Department of Writing Studies, but she’s augmenting her major with a Social Media Creator Certificate. The fully-online program, launched in 2023, requires just three courses. Students from all backgrounds learn to use their online presence to solve problems and make a difference in their lives, their communities and the world.
That was certainly Kirchmann’s experience with the program. As part of her Name, Image and Likeness class, she created social media content for a charitable event to support breast cancer research, raising over $27,000 and drawing over 1,000 registrations. The content leveraged Kirchmann’s name, image and likeness, sharing a story that tied her to her family’s experience with breast cancer.
“I used what I was learning in class to reach the target audience that was actively looking at our account,” Kirchmann said. “So I was able to apply that knowledge in real-time, which was pretty neat.”
As an English teaching major, Kirchmann isn’t planning on a career in social media marketing. But she says the certificate will still play an important role when she becomes an English teacher.
“I feel like social media is so prevalent in writing these days,” she said.
Kirchmann has found opportunities to apply social media skills to her teaching. She can use Facebook and Instagram posts to inspire students and encourage them to read and engage with other readers. She also plans to use social media as a tool for finding new ideas to apply to her own classroom.
Kirchmann expects to graduate next spring.