Writing Director of Strike Magazine
Writer, Graphics: Savannah T. / Chapter Submitted Photos
Going into college, Gillian M. described herself as timid and reserved. She enjoyed writing and photography, but kept to herself and couldn’t picture herself sharing her talents with the world for fear of judgment. Her freshman year, she went through recruitment and joined Zeta Tau Alpha, a sisterhood that empowered and encouraged her to step out of her shell. Fast forward four years Gillian has become a confident woman that has held leadership positions and shared her talents through Strike, an FSU affiliated lifestyle and culture publication that produces content on a blog and a print magazine.
“I first heard about Strike Magazine from a sister of mine at ZTA, actually,” says Gillian. “After formal recruitment, she approached me about it because she remembered my major and how I was into writing and photography, and that she thought I'd enjoy getting involved.”
She first joined the staff in the Fall of 2017 as a photographer, where she took photos for the “Out Here” shoot for the print magazine. A couple of semesters later, she joined Strike as a staff writer for the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 semesters, where she wrote pieces both for the blog and the Volume Five print magazine. In the Fall of 2019, she was promoted to editor on the writing staff, where she edited more than 30 articles for the blog, wrote an astrology column, and edited as well as contributed articles for the Volume Six print magazine. During her final semester on Strike, she took over as Writing Director and oversaw the entire writing staff.
“I made it very apparent that I was eager for a leadership position and could handle it. I also worked my way up the ranks so that I could have a solid understanding of every position and individual I would eventually be leading,” says Gillian. “I never missed a deadline or skipped a week as a staff writer, and I helped out anywhere I could as editor. As Writing Director, I was in charge of managing the writing staff, the blog, as well as helped curate the novel concepts for the semesterly publication and carry out those ideas every draft along the way.”
To say Gillian was prepared for her new role as Writing Director would have been an understatement. However, she faced the same challenge all of us did this past spring semester: COVID-19. When the pandemic hit, she was in the process of editing and finalizing all of the articles for the print magazine. Maintaining a tight schedule, getting multiple drafts from nearly 20 writers, and ensuring top-notch quality that fit the Strike brand pieces was a challenge during the pandemic. This challenge helped hone leadership and editing skills for Gillian, allowing her to grow as a professional. Not one to back down, Gillian was able to still fulfill her position and get quality articles into Volume Seven print magazine.
“The biggest reward of being the Writing Director was both watching the vision for the issue come to fruition, as well as finally receiving that physical publication in the mail and getting to see all the hard work and late nights pay off,” says Gillian. “Basically I'm most proud of [being Writing Director] for myself, as well as building friendships within Strike. Having a community of people who are so kind as supportive, and share the same passions as you can really open your world up to so much more.”
Gillian is thankful for the support her Zeta sisters have given her during her time at Strike. From encouraging her to apply to attending magazine release parties, promoting her work on social media, and even electing her as photography chair at Zeta, they have encouraged her and given her the confidence to pursue her passion. She is apperceptive that her sisters were always interested in hearing about her work with Strike and for the support they lent her throughout all of her positions at the publication. By introducing her to the publication, the sisters of Zeta have helped Gillian grow as an individual and create everlasting memories at Strike.
“My favorite memory at Strike is easy - the release parties! There hasn't been a single one that wasn't an absolute blast. Between the music, the happiness in the air, the outfits, and community feeling you get attending, they are always nights to remember, and my college scrapbook definitely highlights that,” says Gillian. “My favorite memory as Writing Director specifically was sitting down at Sweet-Shop with our Editor-in-Chief and other directors and planning out the bones of the magazine. The coffee-fueled banter of creative ideas was so fun, and it gave me such a proud feeling in my chest being able to finally sit there and be where I had been wanting to achieve for so long.”
A recent FSU graduate, Gillian now works full-time at GuideWell, a division of Florida Blue Health Insurance. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, she is excited to be able to work a job that she loves while being able to stay near her family. She utilizes the skills she honed at Strike to grow as a professional in the company as well as better it.