New Hashtag Focuses On Student Experience
BY KEVIN STUDER
Editor-in-Chief
While Lynn loves to know why students are choosing the university as their own, a more important question has appeared recently: Why are you staying at Lynn? To answer this question, students are responding with #WeAreLynn.
As the social media age has surged over the past several years, there have been many hashtags that have accompanied Lynn related posts. Until now, students have had a hard time figuring out how to distinguish Lynn, but with the newly formed #WeAreLynn, they can now take pride in their school on social media.
In Lynn’s Office of Admission, two staff members have been working hard on this new hashtag. Social Media Coordinator Neci Dodd and Associate Director of Enrollment Management and Lynn alumna Taryn Hamill had several students write down ideas for the new hashtag and have worked from there to choose the right one.
“Well initially, I brainstormed with students on possible hashtags. I asked them to give me words that they would use to share their excitement about Lynn. We were able to come up with many, but none of them gave us that ‘Oh, that’s the one’ feeling,” said Dodd. “We wanted something that the Lynn community would be excited to use, but also something that showed our pride and unity.”
With this year’s incoming freshman class being the largest it has been in eight years, Lynn has the highest potential right now for student spirit and this hashtag embodies everything that is Lynn. At the Star Wars themed State of the University Address this past Wednesday, Hamill revealed that Lynn is becoming students’ top choice for an institution. When parents and potential students look at Lynn’s website, they will see that Lynn currently has a 69% retention rate and a 41% graduation rate.
“Lynn is unlike any university we’ve ever known,” said Hamill. “We can’t save every student, but if we all connected to even just one that may be struggling or that is considering leaving, we could make a huge difference.”
While there are a lot of big Lynn events that people have been attending this week, the hashtag is also for the everyday encounters students have that make them proud of the school.
Students have already started using the hashtag on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to tell stories of why they chose to stay at Lynn. Stories included the involvement the university has provided, the family aspect of the school and the affordability of the 3.0 Program.
“[Associate Dean of Students] Anthony Altieri is one of the reasons I graduated from Lynn when he told me to consider student government,” said Hamill. “Now Lynn still can’t get rid of me.”
“I am at Lynn because of the community members here are like family to me, the course and teaching style match my learning style, “ said Gary Pelletier, senior. “Lynn professors care about my individual success both inside and outside of the classroom, which is what I needed at a university so I could graduate.”
“While everybody was looking at me like I was crazy, Lynn offered me the opportunity not only to study abroad and far from home but to grow,” siad Madelyn Russo, sophomore. Lynn was the only school that gave this girl from a very small town the enough confidence to travel over 6000 miles and spend years away from family and home. Every friend, every professor, every mentor and even my bosses and coworkers shaped me into the person I am today.”
“I graduated from Lynn University because Lynn believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself,” said Ashley Cacicedo, graduate student. “People cared about me and pushed me to accomplish things.”
Those who want to see more about #WeAreLynn can check out the hashtag on any Lynn related social media sites.
