PR Major Brings Creativity and Content Creation Skills to Her Sorority’s Executive Board
Meryl Plante uses her role to enhance Alpha Chi Omega’s brand while preparing for a future in public relations
By: Makayla LeRoux
Public Relations Major, Meryl Plante, serves as vice president of public relations and marketing for her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega (AXO). She has always had a passion for creativity and loves being able to apply that to her role. While many aspects of her position go unnoticed, one of her most significant responsibilities is managing the sorority’s social media accounts.
“I was given the opportunity to make AXO look how I wanted it to the public and really show the personality we all have,” said Plante.
Taking on this role has challenged Plante. She says it has taught her more about herself and public relations. One obstacle she has had to overcome is staying organized and keeping up with the constant changes and events within the sorority. Balancing her responsibilities as a full-time student and an executive board member has helped her develop better time management skills.
“I am actively talking with my advisor on what to post and we create a social media calendar every month that helps me to curate engaging content,” said Plante.
As vice president of public relations and marketing, Plante manages various elements, more than just social media. She must stay current with new trends and create content that boosts engagement and showcases the sorority’s culture to incoming first-year students considering recruitment. She has had many posts gain a lot of attention on social media, which have not only enhanced awareness of AXO but also sparked interest and excitement among potential new members.
“A lot of my inspiration comes from the girls within the sorority.” Plante said, “I love seeing all the different personalities come together. I also pull ideas from other AXO chapters to help me find captions and trends.”
Another responsibility she holds is keeping track of chapter events and birthdays, overseeing onboarding for new members and managing the status of current members. She stays connected with AXO alumni and updates them on the news within the chapter. Along with this, she works regularly with her adviser and chair positions, creating monthly newsletters and adding to their website. Plante maintains communication with other positions on the executive board to uphold the strong sorority values and keep the members involved.
Through this role, she has gained valuable experience in public relations and says she looks forward to applying these skills in her career. Just as she collaborates closely with her sorority advisor to strategize and curate content, Plante says she sees this experience as a preview of her future role. Working with account managers or clients in a public relations firm will require similar teamwork and content planning.
To see Plante’s AXO social media content, check out https://www.instagram.com/msualphachi.