McKenzie Cunningham

Hi there, I’m McKenzie.

For my entire life, I've lived within 20 miles of Atlanta. Now as a senior at the University of Georgia, I split my time between Atlanta and Athens.

Ever since I learned to read at the age of four, I've loved words. Reading and writing are two of my passions, manifesting themselves in my blog, social media management, and my never-ending list of books to read.

In my free time, I love exploring my cities and dreaming up a future trip. You'll find me trying new foods, cooking in the kitchen, or reading the latest food blog.

With graduation, I exploring a career in media or branding. The storytelling side of me loves the idea of discovering new and creative ways to communicate about a brand.

To sum myself up, I'm passionate about all things creative. My blog is an overflow of these interests – you can visit my website with a click on the button above.

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WHAT I LEARNED IN JANUARY:

My primary takeaway is the importance of context in communication. It's easy for different phrases to take on different meanings based on the culture, location, and manner of the speech.

Beyond this big picture understanding, I learned about the various methods for communication, such as visuals, memos, and texts. Within the business setting, these methods are used to communication internally and externally, in informal and formal networks.

Which methods you use are dependent on the setting. For example, letters are a formal method of communicating externally. Before writing anything, you must first determine your goals, then analyze your audience, gather and organize information, and choose your format.

When writing in the inverted pyramid style, you must always revise your content. Two skills I practiced this month was writing an internal memo, and writing clearly, persuasively, and without discrimination.

/////// SEMESTER TAKEAWAYS

Over the course of my spring semester, I've become increasingly aware of the importance in formatting, tone, and word choice in business communication. In the last two months, I've submitted three projects, all with real-life applications.

With my team members, I created a proposal and report for a local non-profit's expansion to the Atlanta area. The project required in-depth research, a clearly stated plan, and formation of problem and solution statements.

As a future graduate, I prepared an employment package. After