A Vision for Season Five

Written by Maddie Schuck

If you asked members of Relevant Youth why they create, you’d likely get a different response from each person. Many of us can’t remember when we started drawing, shooting, writing, designing or otherwise expressing ourselves. Without us realizing, however, it’s become a vital part of who we are. There’s one concept that holds true for all of us, though: we create because it gives us so much.

Making art is a vulnerable process, but it offers an outlet for emotions, a perspective on the world around us and a sense of pride. Art gives us something to point to and say, “that is what I contributed to society’s narrative.” Each of our 95 members joined Relevant Youth because they care about building a community around that shared passion.

As we head into Season 5, our company has channeled gratitude for all the ways art makes our lives better and decided it’s time we return the favor. As Managing Director Fiona Thurow explains it, “This semester will be characterized by giving back in a way the company has never seen.” This means that through our work as a creative marketing agency, we’ll be using our skills to add value to the Columbia community.

Putting innovative students to work for local clients is how we plan to achieve this goal. To help members produce their best, most meaningful work, our leadership has prioritized skill-building. At the end of the day, RY’s mission rests on offering professional advertising experience to ambitious students. Creative Director Katrina Troy is putting an emphasis on training members to better utilize Adobe Creative Suite to bridge the gap between a concept and its execution. Additionally, we’re working with six local businesses and organizations that share our vision and are ready to give us the creative freedom to bring it to life through advertising.

To a creative, there’s nothing more inspiring than a blank canvas. As we head into Season 5, we’ve chosen to see the semester as just that. Ahead of us lies a chance to make a difference and learn through experience. Beside us, we have a group of clients trusting our company to build their brands and creatively address their communication challenges. Our members hold unmatched potential and a true love for creating, and we cannot wait to see how far that carries us this semester.