Hey Carson Cougs!

My involvement at WSU has greatly influenced the career path I want to pursue after I graduate next year. Freshman year, I constantly heard everyone around me preaching to “get involved,” but I found myself cornered with thoughts that “there were no opportunities for me since I’m not as outgoing as my peers.” I heard about the Student Entertainment Board (SEB) through their various noteworthy events and concerts like Springfest and felt like that would be something fun to dip my toes into.

There are nine committees as a part of SEB- arts, concerts, films, gallery, marketing, speakers, special events, spotlight, and Up All Night. I filled out their committee application and ranked them by what interested me the most. Of course, I was placed in the one I wanted the least. I stuck through it and went to the weekly meetings and once a month comedy shows; eventually, I fell in love with the idea of planning events.

The next year, SEB hired me to be on their executive staff as their director of speakers. My plan was to elevate the position and attract more students. Last year, I planned three shows that sold-out, spanning Comedy Night with Matteo Lane, a mental health lecture with PostSecret Live, and the annual Mom’s Weekend Drag Show. Putting on these events allowed me to form connections with the talent and their agents while meeting people that I have looked up to my entire life.

Through my successes last year, I worked my way to the top of the organization and am now the executive director. With this title, I oversee more than 250 events throughout the year and make sure that they run as smoothly as possible. I also oversee our total allocated budget provided by student activity fees. Every student on this campus pays for these, and I make sure these funds are used efficiently and effectively.

Some highlights of my experience working for SEB have been being able to hang out backstage with Billie Eilish before her headlining show for Springfest 2017, driving 3OH!3 around Pullman, and having my coworkers become my some of my best friends.

The Student Involvement Office recently named me the “Student Leader of the Month” for February for everything that SEB has put on this past year and this was made possible by filling out a simple Google Form my freshman year and working my way up through this student organization.

Committee applications open all semester, and we are always looking to add more people to help run events!

If you are looking for a career in event planning and want experience in planning the largest events on campus, SEB will be hiring executive staff, and applications will be available on CougSync starting on February 3. Being a part of the SEB executive staff also satisfies the work requirement for Hospitality Business Management (HBM) students (if you are trying to get those 1,000 hours while planning cool events and meeting some pretty cool people).

 

The positions will be closing at 5 p.m. March 5, 2020.

If you have any questions about the hiring process, please reach out to me at seb.director@wsu.edu.

Go Cougs!