LAURA A.

WILCOX

PORTFOLIO

TABLE OF CONTENTS
2 RESUME LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION SAM NOBLE MUSEUM POSITIVE TOMORROWS LINDSEY + ASP SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR BLOGGING 3 4 7 12 14 16 17

RESUME
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LAURA A. WILCOX
EXPERIENCE 2013-Present Norman, OK Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History Staff Writer 3289 Ridgecrest Ct. Apt. 311 Norman, OK 73072 lawilcox@ou.edu (405) 694-1639 www.lauraawilcox.weebly.com ACTIVITIES Italian Club President 2012-2013 Organized events and designed promotional materials Univ. of Oklahoma Purls for Philanthropy 2011-2014 Founder of campus community service knitting organization OU Cousins, Univ. of Oklahoma 2011-2014 Chosen to serve on advisory board of group that builds relationships with international scholars Presidents Community Scholars 2010-2011 Selected as one of 100 students to partake in exclusive leadership and volunteer opportunities HONORS Summer 2013 Study abroad Univ. of Oxford, UK Fall 2012- Fall 2013 Selected to serve on campus academic misconduct student panel Fall 2010- Spring 2014 Oklahoma Academic Standards institutional nominee scholarship Fall 2010- Spring 2014 Board of Regents tuition waiver EDUCATION Major: Public Relations | Minors: English Writing, International Studies Cumulative GPA: 3.78 Graduation: May 2014 Graduating with honors distinction University of Oklahoma, Norman SKILLS Proficient in conversational Italian Adobe Creative/Microsoft Office Suite

The Sam Noble Museum is Oklahomas official natural history museum. Launched and directed the museums Instagram presence Designed and distributed social media surveys Write weekly blog posts and stories for newsletter Take and edit photographs to accompany articles Worked with IT to rewrite all content for new website Help plan-host exhibit openings and special events (weddings, conferences)

2013-2014 Lindsey + Asp Advertising & Public Relations Agency Norman, OK Co-Account Lead Lindsey + Asp is a student-led public relations and advertising agency. Developed a new logo and slogan for a division of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Revamped social media marketing strategies Oversaw production of promotional videos for web and TV Spearheaded an initiative to update website and blog Facilitated communication between client and the agency

Summer 2012 Positive Tomorrows Oklahoma City Public Relations Intern Positive Tomorrows is a non-profit school for children of homeless families. Utilized InDesign to redesign various organizational publications Assisted with statewide media relations Wrote press releases and prepared multimedia materials Helped organize 2013 OKC Mustache Bash fundraiser Maintained volunteer and donor databases Researched philanthropic records of local corporations Self-published Author and Blogger Wrote Book Renegade (spring 2014 Kindle release) My blog, www.astoldbylaura.wordpress.com, won Dec 2013 Word Press Freshly Pressed award Granted the Liebster award by blogging community Jan. 2014

2012-2014

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February 27, 2014 To Whom it May Concern: I am writing this letter of recommendation on behalf of Laura Wilcox. Laura served as a PR and Development Intern at Positive Tomorrows during the summer of 2012 and worked under my supervision. Lauras positive attitude and willingness to help with anything necessary made her a great asset to our department. I would highly recommend her, as she is an absolute joy to work with. At a nonprofit, we always have more to do than we have hands to help and Laura could easily jump right in to help with any project with very little direction. She is an innovative self-starter and an independent worker, but she knows how and when to ask important questions for an assigned project. Laura helped draft press releases, developed brochures and media lists, spoke on behalf of our agency at fairs, assisted with mailings, kept filing systems organized and more. She is prompt, a great communicator, and present herself with confidence and grace. Again, I would highly recommend Laura. Her positive attitude, professionalism and kind heart would make her an asset to any workplace. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 405-556-5082 or rdurham@positivetomorrows.org. Kindest Regards,

Rachel Williams Durham Communication and Volunteer Manager

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February 20, 2014 Re: Recommendation for Laura Wilcox I am pleased to provide you this letter of recommendation for Laura Wilcox as a part of her application. I have had the privilege of knowing Laura Wilcox for more than two years. She was an account lead in Lindsey + Asp, the advertising and public relations agency in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, for which I am also Faculty Advisor. She has also been a student in several of my classes. As her professor, adviser and mentor, I have had the opportunity to closely observe her tireless work ethic, ability to learn, leadership and social skills. From this perspective, I can sum up my recommendation of her in three words. HIRE HER NOW! Lauras confidence, self-motivation and passion have made her an asset to Lindsey + Asp since day one. Because of her commitment to excellence in public relations, she was competitively selected last summer to participate in the Agency Leadership Academy. Selection as a member of Leadership Academy is the result of a rigorous interview and portfolio process. She was subsequently advanced into Lindsey + Asp, the Colleges advertising and public relations agency. Only those students who possess excellent professional skills and have demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities necessary are chosen as members of Lindsey + Asp. Over the years, our selection rate has been less than 50 percent of the more than 25 applicants every semester. As a member of Lindsey + Asp, Laura has excelled in applying what shes learned in the classroom to client challenges and opportunities. She oversaw rebranding of the Boren Mentoring Initiative, including salon and logo redesign and managing the productions schedule of multiple video and print deliverables. She helped develop and execute campaign strategies for the Boren Mentoring Initiative as well as the Oklahoma State Fair involvement of TechJOYnt, a non-profit dedicated to increasing the number of women in science, technology, engineering and math studies. As the co-account lead, she was responsible for bridging communication between client and team. Not only does Laura tackle challenges and welcome the opportunity to learn, she is a leader and teacher to other members in the organization. Her personable and helpful approach to her colleagues keeps them motivated and engaged. She is a dedicated team player, always willing to share her strengths and knowledge with others. With strong time management and prioritization skills, she excels within and outside of Lindsey + Asp and the classroom, maintaining an excellent GPA. Laura is truly one of my organizational leaders, very diligent and emotionally mature. She is a natural team builder who, in class and out, develops a cohesive, effective cohort that thrives under her leadership and guidance. She exhibits a natural flare for developing unity of purpose and focus, while ensuring each member of the group has a say in the final outcome. Laura is a superior student who always produces outstanding results. I would rank her among my top young public relations professional with whom Ive worked, including the U.S. Navy. I cant say enough about Lauras social skills. She is charming and mature and possess all the social graces, the kind of young professional you genuinely love to be around. She operates extremely well in heavy traffic, which is especially impressive to the top professionals who have visited our program. What is most noted by everyone who knows her is her great strength of character and self-reliance. She is absolutely unflappable and extremely adaptable as she handles change with ease. Most importantly, shes an absolute can-do person, a characteristic that couples nicely with her pleasing, affable manner. Based on what Ive seen in her commitment and interest in performing well in our program, especially in Lindsey + Asp, in her leadership and in the aptitude she has shown to learn both inside and outside the classroom, I most highly recommend Laura Wilcox to you. She shows that extra quality that epitomizes promise and that will bring great credit to your organization. Warmest Reards, Robert S. Pritchard, APR, Fellow PRSA Captain, U.S. Navy (Ret.) Lecturer and Faculty Advisor, Lindsey + Asp

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Feb. 18, 2014

To whom it may concern, I would like to offer a letter of recommendation for Laura A. Wilcox for her service with the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History over the last year. I strongly recommend Mrs. Wilcox as a candidate for employment. Laura is professional, on time, hard working and extremely reliable. In addition, she is well organized, works well independently and in groups, and completes all tasks on time. Her skills as a professional writer proved to be exceptionally useful in the Public Relations and Marketing office at the museum. She is a creative thinker with attentiveness to detail. While employed with the museum, she developed imaginative marketing slogans, crafted compelling science-based stories for the public and assisted in managing the museums social media sites. Her main duty at the museum was to break the barrier of science stereotypes to inform, educate and entertain the museums audiences about research in and development of the museums 12 science collections. She has been recognized by the museum director as one of the most talented writers the museum has ever had. Her stories have been published in the museum newsletter and on various social media sites. Her ability to engage audiences with interesting educational facts is truly impressive. I wholeheartedly recommend Laura for employment. She will add a spark of creativity and develop a network of devoted supporters to any organization. Please contact me if there is anything else I can do on her behalf. Sincerely,

Jen Tregarthen Public Relations and Marketing Officer Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History SNOMNH, University of Oklahoma, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, OK 73072-7029 Voice: (405) 325-4712 Fax: (405) 325-7699 Web: www.snomnh.ou.edu

RESPONSIBLE FOR LAUNCHING AND MAINTAINING INSTAGRAM PRESENCE

SAM NOBLE MUSEUM

SAM NOBLE MUSEUM

SEVEN FEATURE STORY PUBLICATIONS IN MUSEUM NEWSLETTER, TRACKS BELOW IS A WRITING SAMPLE FROM THE SUMMER 2013 NEWSLETTER

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PART II OF FEATURE STORY SAMPLE

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A SAMPLE OF A PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN FOR THE MUSEUM

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Museum Welcomes Winter With Holiday Happening

Contact: Jen Tregarthen (405) 325-0598 Jen.Tregarthen@ou.edu

NORMAN The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History welcomes visitors this winter to enjoy familyfriendly activities and festive entertainment during Holiday Happening, the museums complimentary community celebration, scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5. Adults and children are invited to gather inside the Great Hall to enjoy songs from the Sooner Theatres winter production of A Wonderful Life: The Musical, performances by the Oklahoma City Ballet and the music of the Redliners, the University of Oklahomas only co-ed student-led contemporary a cappella ensemble. Families are welcomed to the Pioneer Librarys Storybook Time, and children are invited to share their holiday wishes with Santa Claus, who will be present to pose for photographs. Excavations, the museum store, will offer special one-night-only discounts on all merchandise during Holiday Happening to help participants cross those last few items off their list. With a wide variety of unique gifts, one-of-a-kind jewelry, educational toys and home dcor items, Excavations has something for everyone this season. In the spirit of giving, the museum will be accepting donations of gifts for children and teens and non-perishable food items on behalf of Food and Shelter Inc. Donations can be brought to the museum during regular hours from Nov. 20 through Dec. 5. Everyone who donates will be entered in a drawing to win a $50 gift certificate to Excavations. The museum offers plenty to keep families fascinated during Holiday Happening and throughout the winter season. Children will enjoy excavating fossils in the Discovery Room, and adults will appreciate the breathtaking traditional and contemporary Native American art featured in the temporary exhibit, Masterworks of Native American Art: Selections from the Fred and Enid Brown Collection, on display through Jan. 5. Both children and adults will agree that The Art of Sport + Play, on display through Jan. 26, is both entertaining and inspiring. At the heart of the collection is a group of handcrafted balls, created by children with found materials from their native lands. With a playful spirit, this exhibit tells the story of the universal power of sport. ### The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is located on the University of Oklahoma Norman campus at Timberdell Road and Chautauqua Avenue.

SAM NOBLE MUSEUM

ASSISTED IN COORDINATING SPECIAL EVENTS - WEDDINGS, BANQUETS, RECEPTIONS PHOTOS OF MUSEUM SPECIAL EVENTS BELOW

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POSITIVE TOMORROWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -PHOTO OPPORTUNITY Media Contact: Rachel Williams Durham. 580-490-6167

BELOW IS A SAMPLE OF A PRESS RELEASE THAT I WROTE FOR POSITIVE TOMORROWS

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OKC HOMELESS CHILDREN LACE-UP TODAY FOR AN AFTERNOON OF SMILES ON WHEELS OKLAHOMA CITY An afternoon of roller skating is a luxury for homeless families, but homeless children will lace-up at 12:30 today thanks to a new partnership between Skate Galaxy OKC and Positive Tomorrows, the states only private elementary school for homeless children. Volunteers and staff will be on hand to chaperone the field trip to Skate Galaxy OKC at 5800 NW 36th Street in Oklahoma City. Our students often miss out on opportunities that most kids take for granted, said Josh Beasley, Director of Development at Positive Tomorrows. We provide a ton of fun activities during the summer to make up PRESS REGARDING A SCHOOL FIELD TO SKATING RINK for what RELEASE our students normally miss out on. We are TRIP happy to THE partner with Brian and Phaedra to make this happen for our children. Skate Galaxy owners Brian and Phaedra Zortman offered to host a monthly field trip for Positive Tomorrows students this summer as a part of the schools Summer Break Camp. The Summer Break Camp provides a safe, stable environment where children learn through fun activities, field trips and enrichment activities. We are excited to help create this opportunity for children, roller skating is so much fun! said Brian Zortman. Skate Galaxy is a family owned business emphasizing creating safe, positive and exciting recreation for children and families. About Positive Tomorrows Positive Tomorrows is a non-profit elementary school that meets the unique needs of Oklahoma Citys homeless children and their families. Positive Tomorrows removes barriers that get in the way of homeless childrens ability to attend school, to learn and to grow. The goal of Positive Tomorrows is to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty through education. Find out more about Positive Tomorrows and how you can help at www.PositiveTomorrows.org. -###PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Elementary school-aged children who are homeless will be roller skating at Skate Galaxy from 12:30-2 p.m. on Thursday, June 14, 2012. Media contact: Rachel Williams Durham. 580-490-6167.

POSITIVE TOMORROWS

HELPED COORDINATE THE 2009 MUSTACHE BASH LOCAL FUNDRAISER PRESS COVERAGE AND PHOTOS OF EVENT BELOW

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LINDSEY + ASP

HELPED NON-PROFIT TechJOYnt PROMOTE STEM SAFARI EVENT PART I OF PROJECT STATEMENT BELOW

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PROJECT STATEMENT General description: Lindsey + Asp will create and execute a communications plan to promote awareness and attendance at the TechJOYnt 2013 STEM Safari. Lindsey + Asp will do so by conducting primary and secondary research, assembling a mailing list, reaching out to key contacts within the community, building a social media campaign, developing a presence in trade publications, building alliances with universities and organizations, and conducting final evaluations. Details of Project/Sub-Parts: Project 1: Research Primary o Lindsey + Asp will conduct surveys and interviews both within and outside of the TechJOYnt organization. Secondary o Lindsey + Asp will obtain statistics, documents, reports, press clippings and general information on the 2012 STEM Safari. Use this data to determine measurable objectives for the 2013 event Project 2: Compile a Mailing List Lindsey + Asp will assemble a list of potential exhibitors, donors, guest speakers and attendees for the 2013 STEM Safari. Hard copy Email Project 3: Community Outreach Lindsey + Asp will compile a list of key contacts within the community to promote awareness of the event and potentially attract donors/exhibitors. Universities Community organizations o STEM outreach programs across OK Guest Speakers o Governor Fallin o Local musical artist o Digital specialist from Saxum Promotes Oklahoma-centric image STEM companies o Aerospace FAA, Tinker AFB o Oil and gas 395 W. LINDSEY SUITE 2120 NORMAN, OK 73019 (405) 325-2762

LINDSEY + ASP

HELPED NON-PROFIT TechJOYnt PROMOTE STEM SAFARI EVENT PART II OF PROJECT STATEMENT BELOW

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Project 4: Digital Tactics Develop a social media campaign for the event. Twitter Facebook Vine YouTube Renovating STEM Safari website o Visible upcoming exhibitor/donor list Project 5: Publications Pitch to the media. Develop basic pitch News releases Print advertising o Family Metro o Preview Project 6: Contacting and Building Alliances Lindsey + Asp will contact and develop relationships with community organizations, universities and businesses. Community Organizations o Girls and Boy Scouts of America Universities o OSU-HSC o OU College of Engineering o OU-HSC o Bricktown Music Academy - UCO Local schools o Information Folders Deliver folders containing print flyers to select local elementary and middle schools to be sent home with students After the fall semester has begun Project 7: Evaluation Lindsey + Asp will use predetermined objectives to measure the overall success and impact of the event. To do so, we will collect emails of interested attendees at the event for future email surveys and follow-up information. Conduct surveys via iPad at event o To determine how attendees heard about STEM Safari Survey exhibitors and attendees after event o Email Use follows/likes to assess impact of social media campaign 395 W. LINDSEY SUITE 2120 NORMAN, OK 73019 (405) 325-2762

SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR

DESIGNED COVER AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL FOR KINDLE EBOOK

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BELOW ARE SAMPLES OF BLOG POSTS WRITTEN FOR THE GENERAL BAPTIST CONVENTION OF OKLAHOMA AND MY PERSONAL BLOG, AS TOLD BY LAURA

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BELOW IS A SAMPLE OF A BLOG POST WRITTEN FOR MY PERSONAL BLOG, AS TOLD BY LAURA

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Make Your Own Disney Shoes

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Laura W Around 6 months ago, on a Disney Pinterest binge, I spotted a pair of Little Mermaid shoes I simply had to have. The problem? The cheapest pair was $80. So, like any broke college kid with an inflated sense of craftiness, I decided to make my own and share the process with you. If youre not a Disney fan, no sweat. You could easily turn these into Star Wars, super hero, or Super Mario shoes (you can also do other unsuper things, as well.) Really, the options are limitless. Theres only 8 steps between you and a pair of whimsical kicks, so what are you waiting for?

Supplies: White canvas shoes Acrylic paints Paintbrushes Black Sharpie (color optional) Scotch Guard protective spray 1. Buy a pair of white canvas shoes. If youre working on a budget, I suggest the $17.99 knock-off Vans from Payless. (click to view) 2. Browse coloring books or online pages for the design/character(s) you want. Once you have them, cut your designs out and make sure they fit on the shoe. Arrange them as you will paint them. 3. Using a wooden pencil trace the outline of your character onto the shoe. When you finish outlining, draw the inside lines, such as facial features and clothes. If youre a truly unartistic person, you may want to phone a friend for this step. 4. Bust out the paints! You will want to use acrylic paints, which you can buy at Wal-Mart or Hobby Lobby. For small details like facial features, its easier to use colored Sharpies. 5. Let the shoes dry for at least 12 hours. 6. Go back with a black Sharpie or paint pen and outline all of your pencil lines to sharpen up the image. 7. If you want to do any extra paint effects, like shading, add these now after everything is outlined and dried. 8. Coat your shoes with Scotch Guard to protect them from dirt. Just like spray paint, stand about 10 feet away and spray your shoes thoroughly with two solid coats. Voila! Congratulations, friend. You now have your very own pair of Disney shoes! P.S. Have you followed my blog yet? Click follow on the sidebar to the left to get notifications on new posts!

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BELOW IS A SAMPLE OF A BLOG POST WRITTEN FOR THE GENERAL BAPTIST CONVENTION OF OKLAHOMA

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Beauty Study: Women Spend 12 Hours per Week Worrying About Looks Monday morning, while leisurely sipping my coffee to The Today Show, Hoda Kotb reported that the average woman spends about 12 hours each week worrying about her appearance, according to a new study. That cant be right! I said to myself. Surely theres been some mistake. So I hit Google for a little fact checking. The research, commissioned by Lycra Beauty, studied 2,000 women regarding beauty and body image. Unfortunately, that startling statistic was no fact error. According to the study, the average woman

Spends 12 hours and four minutes per week worrying about her appearance. Spends 50 minutes per week deciding what to wear. Spends one hour and 32 minutes per week worrying if their outfit makes them look good. Spend 39 minutes per week deciding on lingerie. Spends 46 minutes per week worrying about weight. Worries about being too fat, too thin, too bloated, having spotty skin, pale skin and frizzy hair.
In case those numbers arent shocking enough, all this worry adds up to a grand total of 627 hours and 28 minutes each year. Thats almost an entire month! Surprisingly, only 48 percent of women studied said this was too much time. In my opinion, though, any amount of time spent in the company of fear and inadequacy is too much. So what do we do? Id venture to say that Christian women are just as affected by fear of inadequacy as nonbelievers, myself included. But whether she realizes it or not, every single woman is wonderfully and beautifully made by God (Psalm 139:14). But biblical beauty isnt just about attractiveness its about the spirit. The Bible says

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:10) So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self his being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16) But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not
as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in Gods sight. (1 Peter 3:3-4) A woman who loves God must also learn to love herself inside and out. Of course, this is no overnight job; it takes time, dedication, prayer and a hearty spoonful of self-respect. God did not give us a spirit of fear or worry, but a spirit of power and love (2 Timothy 1:7). So as the New Year rolls in, lets use this spirit to change the statistics. We have been perfectly crafted in the image of God, and that, friends, is something to be confident about.

THANK YOU
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THE ITEMS IN THIS PORTFOLIO ARE INTENDED TO PROVIDE A BRIEF GLIMPSE INTO MY PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL CREATIVE WORKS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE FURTHER SAMPLES, PLEASE CONTACT ME BY PHONE AT (405) 694-1639 OR BY EMAIL AT LAWILCOX@OU.EDU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.