For a little more than a year, I have been a graduate student at Agnes Scott College in the Writing and Digital Communication program. This portfolio section is a representation of all the knowledge, skills, and abilities I have acquired during this time. Browse my portfolio to see examples of my work. This page contains several pieces I have completed in the WDC program. Some of this work includes journalism, analytical writing, digital art, and videography. I also have examples of projects for User Experience (UX), competitive analysis, and transmedia storytelling. If you would like to hire me for freelance work, head over to my home page. There, you will find my email address, and links to my social media sites. I enjoy writing on a variety of topics, and I am always looking to expand my horizons. Finally, if you have any questions about my portfolio, please let me know.

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Paradigm shift – 500 word essay

From the time I was a young girl, writing has been a passion of mine. Some of my favorite outlets of expression are creative writing and poetry. Although I loved writing, I never considered it as anything more than a
hobby until fairly recently. After several years of working unfulfilling jobs, I decided to turn my passion into a profession and pursue a career as a journalist and published writer. This paradigm shift involved a skills inventory, and I found myself lacking in several critical competencies for digital communication. I enrolled in the Writing and Digital Communication program at Agnes Scott College to bridge the gap. 

Values

When I think about values, the first thing that comes to mind are the Navy core values that were drilled into my head during my time in the military. The first of these core values was honor. This applies to writing and content creation in the sense that words and images have power. As a writer and content creator, I consider myself honor-bound to follow journalistic ethics of honesty, accuracy, and fairness. The WDC program at Agnes Scott made me consider another aspect to fairness – designing for accessibility. I have learned a lot about how people with differing abilities rely on devices to browse the web. I also learned the importance of navigability and alt-text. For this reason, I have enabled captions and provided transcripts for the videos on my website. I have also included alt-text for my graphic art and photographs. To the best of my ability, I tried to create a simple website design that was clearly labeled and easy to navigate. 

Attitudes

My attitude regarding digital communication has shifted in the sense that I feel a lot more comfortable with the digital realm. When I first started the program, I knew little to nothing about web design, social media, or content strategy. During the course of this program, I have learned these skills in addition to project management, competitive analysis, and search engine optimization (SEO). I have also learned how to create more compelling stories across different mediums. Through various assignments and coursework, I have had the opportunity to apply these skills and receive structured feedback. This has enabled me to learn and grow as a writer and content creator. 

Beliefs

My beliefs about digital communication now are very different than my initial beliefs when beginning the program. There is a well-known saying, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” I have learned about so many things that I didn’t know existed, things I had no awareness of. As my awareness has grown, my perception of writing and content creation has changed as well. I have become more discerning in the content I create as well as the content I consume. Although I do not consider myself an expert at digital communication, I feel more equipped to meet the demands of the industry. I’m already doing some of the things I want to do and it’s because of the skills I have learned, and capabilities I’ve developed.

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Journalism

Professional knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Journalistic writing
• Copy editing
• Revising for content
• Interviewing techniques
• Investigative research
• Photojournalism

Journalism in the Digital Age

Have you ever driven down Clairmont Road, and noticed metal art sculptures at the edge of the street? Instantly, I was intrigued by this installation, and needed to know more. This search led me down a Google rabbit-hole to find out more information, and it took me to a local Decatur man named Clark Ashton, a sculptor, former professor, and painter. I decided to write this non-fiction feature about his struggle to put the name of his outdoor art installation on the map. After conducting several interviews with my subject and revising the piece over the course of Spring semester 2020, I submitted it as my final project for Journalism in the Digital Age with Professor Green.  

Feature story (WDC 626)

To view several photographs I took for this feature, check out the story on my writing page.

Solutions Journalism

Covid-19 has disrupted the way that many people approach fitness. Consequently, this has taken a toll on people’s mental health as they neglect their personal fitness as a result of gym closures, or because of not feeling safe in a group atmosphere. This inspired me to write the following solutions journalism piece about how a Loganville Georgia gym owner implemented fitness solutions while her gym was closed during the state-wide shutdown at the start of the pandemic. I also explored what precautions she implemented to reopen safely. After conducting several interviews with my subject, Kristin Sutton Henshaw, and revising the story over the course of Summer semester 2020, I submitted it as my final project for Solutions Journalism with Professor Green.

Solutions story (WDC 695)

To view some of my freelance journalistic endeavors, visit hypepotamus.com. I have been working as a contributing writer since October 2020.

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Critical Communication

Professional knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Professional level research
• Analysis of real-life situations
• Scholarly writing
• Explicating seminal communication theories and concepts

This paper explores how HBO show Lovecraft Country disrupts the white gaze. I conducted a detailed analysis of the opening scene of Episode 8, Jig-a-Bobo, by utilizing several visual communication techniques: the Lacanian gaze, mise-en-scene, and the re-purposing of iconic images. Throughout this piece, I demonstrate how through these visual communication techniques, the show is able to confront systemic racism and start a conversation about it. Throughout the course of Fall semester 2020, I thoroughly researched my topic, and revised and edited this paper. A completed final draft was submitted for my final paper in Critical Communication with Dr. Ivanova. 

Research essay (WDC 640)

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Analytical writing

Professional knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Grammatical competence
• Academic writing
• Making effective and ethical arguments
• Conducting research
• Delivering a persuasive oral presentation

This paper discusses how an HBO show propels the ideas of Critical Race Theory (CRT) to the Public Screen. Lovecraft Country (LC) confronts deeply rooted bias and discrimination in American society through horror. At the same time, LC highlights black history by telling stories of people and events that have been left out of traditional school curriculum. Throughout this piece, I demonstrate how LC utilizes narrative storytelling along with an understanding of CRT to foster a better understanding of historical events through a marginalized perspective. I thoroughly researched this topic, and revised and edited this paper. A completed final draft was submitted for my final paper in the Craft of Analytical Writing with Dr. Palma.

Final paper (WDC 615)

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User experience (UX)

Professional knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Defining and researching UX
• Project Management
• Designing for a specific aesthetic
• Delivering a project pitch to a client
• Teamwork

As part of a group assignment, myself and several of my classmates (Angela Washington, Danielle Williams, and Alexis Prothro) researched and made recommendations for a website design based on “client” specifications. During this project, we designed for a specific aesthetic, a clean, modern, and professional theme. while also considering UX. This UX project was submitted for a grade in Visual Thinking and Web Design with Professor Ruby.

(UX) User Experience (WDC 630)

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Digital art

Professional knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• InDesign
• Photoshop
• Composition
• Design
• Working with layers
• Using tools in the Adobe Suite

I created this collection of digital art pieces for graded assignments in Visual Thinking and Web Design with Professor Ruby. The following compositions were constructed in Adobe Photoshop and InDesign.

Butterfly

For this assignment, we were instructed to personify a word using Illustrator. I used the letters f, l, and y to create a purple butterfly stretching out into a blue sky. 

Vector graphics (WDC 630)

Zigzag

This was a digital art piece I created in Photoshop. To begin, I selected the image size, then created and affected layers. I created a zigzag shape, and manipulated it by altering position, color, and opacity. I also skewed and distorted this shape using the direct selection tool. To add visual interest, I used gradients and filters such as noise and pixelate. 

Shifted object (WDC 630)

Time Warp

This piece was a combination of one of my photographs, and several layers of text. I imported the image into Illustrator, then wrote on a path to make the words circle around. Since a record circles around and eats itself when the needle scratches at the end of a song, I wanted the text to circle back around and eat itself, similar to an ourobouros. The quote that inspired me was by George Orwell, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”   

The illustrated argument (WDC 630)

To view some of my other photographic images, check out my photography page.

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Videography

Professional knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Operating a digital video camera
• Utilizing composition and design
• Uploading video files to an external hard drive
• Editing video files
• Adobe Premiere Pro
• iMovie

Creative Non-fiction

As part of a group assignment, myself and two of my classmates (Niema Graham and Isobel Robinson-Ortiz) created a short film. This documentary about the skaters of Atlanta Roller Derby was submitted as an assignment for the class Digital Media Production with Professor Vollmer. My group and I shot this video with a Canon DSLR and edited it using Adobe Premiere Pro.

Creative non-fiction (WDC 670)

Dynamic Fiction

As part of a group assignment, myself and two of my classmates (Peyton Palmer and Maura Kiefer) created a five-minute movie. This ghost story about a girl named Aggie was submitted for an assignment in Visual Thinking and Web Design with Professor Ruby, and it was also entered into Campus Movie Fest 2019. My team and I shot this video with a digital camcorder and edited it using iMovie.

The sequenced image: show me a story (WDC 630)

To read the poem that inspired this video, check out “Ghosted” on my writing page.

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Project Management

Professional knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Project management
• Oral communication
• Written communication
• Collaboration
• Teamwork
• Microsoft Project

As part of a group assignment, myself and three classmates (Daniella O’Garro, Alexis Mack, and Alaska Matthews) completed a mock home renovation. During this project management exercise, we determined the objectives, scope, organization, budget, and schedule for the mock home renovation. My team and I utilized Microsoft Project to manage the project, and submitted a team project document a final grade in Project Management with Dr. Blockson.  

Team project (EAM 640)

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Transmedia storytelling

Professional knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Researching target audiences and platforms
• Designing for accessibility and usability
• Pitching an original transmedia project
• Co-producing a transmedia project 

As part of a group assignment, myself and several of my classmates (Angela Washington, Peyton Palmer, Karen Gelhaar, Danielle Williams, Daniella O’Garro, Malik Watson, and Gabrielle Pollard) created a transmedia storytelling project. We produced a podcast and website telling several intersecting stories across various forms of media, including social media. The website below houses much of the work on this project, and it was submitted for an assignment in Transmedia Storytelling with Dr. Palma. I wrote both the news stories on the website Cinderella Starts New Charity Event: “Ella’s Enchanted Evening”, and Trouble in Paradise: Prince Charming & Cinderella Drop Royal Titles. I also wrote one of the events, Scarlet Hood’s Haunted Woods, one of the reviews, Dr. DD’s Podcast “Yellow Brick Road to Happiness” Sadly Is a Bore.

Group project (WDC 624)

http://wwdaily.angelawashington.agnesscott.org

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Podcast

Professional knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Writing a script
• Recording audio 
• Using a podcast editor (Anchor)
• Uploading completed podcast to our class website

I created this podcast to explore topics such as food, wellness, and family across multiple generations. I submitted this podcast for a grade in Digital Media Production with Professor Vollmer.

Podcast (WDC 670)

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Competitive analysis

Professional knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Developing content strategies for different platforms using analytics
• Composing web content
• Writing and editing content for web and social media
• Completing a competitive analysis using SproutSocial
• Teamwork
• Presentation

As part of a group assignment, myself and two of my classmates (Joann Jackson-Jones, Lexie Edwards) conducted a digital presence audit. We completed a competitive analysis on several different beauty brands to see how our selected brand stacked up against competitors. Our completed analysis was submitted for our final project in Developing Content for Social Media with Dr. Palma. 

Group digital presence audit (WDC 620)

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Heather Seelbach Resume

heather.seelbach77@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherseelbach/

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Powerpoint proficient
Copywriting
Journalistic writing
Investigative research
Utilizing project management to achieve short and long-term goals
Designing for accessibility, navigability, and user experience (UX)
Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro

Freelance contributing writer
Hypepotamus, Atlanta, GA
Oct. 2020 – Present

• Proposing and researching story ideas, submitting an average of two articles per week for publication

Graduate Associate​
Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA
Oct. 2019 – Present

• Providing general administrative support to staff in the Office of the Registrar and performing other essential duties in support of the office 
• Supporting the assistant registrar by processing degree requests, certifications of enrollment, and editing office correspondence

Licensed Sales Professional​
Allstate, Grayson, GA
April 2017 – Oct. 2019

• Increased agency sales through referrals, telemarketing, and cross-selling existing customers 
• Improved agency reviews from 3 out of 5 to 4 out of 5 stars over the course of two years 

Practice Administrator​
Great Expressions, Atlanta, GA
Oct. 2014 – Jan. 2017

• Utilized reporting data to minimize expenditures, maximize productivity, and increase profits
• Managed a team of providers, administrators, and assistants

Mass Communication Specialist​
US Navy, Washington
July 2005 – Jan 2012

• Wrote and edited news stories, features, and special interest pieces for publication
• Shot and edited photographs and raw video footage 
• Supervised more than 20 journalists, photographers, videographers, and designers

EDUCATION
MA, Writing and Digital Communication
Agnes Scott College​, Decatur, GA – 3.89 GPA
Expected May 2021

MA, Instructional Design and Technology
University of Tampa​, Tampa, FL
Jan. 2012 – May 2014

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Original Content Strategy

Revised Content Strategy

Revised Content Strategy
http:heatherseelbach.agnesscott.org


Content Objectives and Tactics:
Demonstrate my professional knowledge, skills, and abilities through key content on my site.

Personal Branding Statement
My name is Heather Seelbach. I offer artfully written prose and poetic images.

Site Outline
 
0.0. Homepage: Heather Seelbach:
keywords: writing, photography, portfolio
1.0  Landing page 1: Portfolio:
keywords: portfolio, digital art, video, campus movie fest
2.0  Landing page 2: Writing
keywords: writing, blogs
2.1 Secondary Landing Page: Blogs
keywords: blogs, writing
3.0  Landing page 3: Photography
keywords: photography, photograph, black and white, color, camera, aesthetic

 SEO KEYWORDS: writing, photography, portfolio, blogs, artfully written prose, poetic images, digital art, video, photograph, black and white, color, campus movie fest, camera, aesthetic.

Section audiences and goals
 
Home page: Heather Seelbach Writing and Photography
Primary audience: Readers
Secondary audience: Professors at Agnes Scott College
Tertiary audience: Companies who want to hire me for contract or freelance work
Sums up topic of digital portfolio: Heather Seelbach offers artfully written prose, and poetic images
Goals for digital portfolio: Meet the digital portfolio requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Writing and Digital Communication
 
Page: Portfolio
Primary audience: Professors at Agnes Scott College
Secondary audience: Peers at Agnes Scott College
Sums up topic of page: Digital portfolio
Goals for this section of my digital portfolio: Meet the digital portfolio requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Writing and Digital Communication
 
Page : Writing
Primary audience: Professors and peers at Agnes Scott College
Sums up topic of page: Writing
Goals for this section of my digital portfolio: Showcase my work as a writer

Secondary Page: Blogs
Primary audience: Professors and peers at Agnes Scott College
Sums up topic of page: Writing
Goals for this section of my digital portfolio: Showcase my work as a writer
 
Page: Photography
Primary audience: Professors and peers at Agnes Scott College
Sums up topic of page: Photography
Goals for this section of my digital portfolio: Showcase my work as a photographer

http:heatherseelbach.agnesscott.org