Alexis Buskirk Portfolio 2015
Alexis Buskirk 4387 Tidewater Dr. 32812 Orlando FL 407-558-1655 alexisbus1210@gmail.com
Theresa Rivera Mah-kah-wee Resident Camp CEO Girl Scouts of Citrus Council 1700 West County Road 419, Oviedo, FL 32766 Dear Ms. Rivera, It would be my honor to assist you in your mission to provide young girls with the opportunities to learn and grow at resident camp by applying for the position of a counselor over the summer. As a current counselor in training, I feel that I am qualified to give the girls a safe and fun summer by assisting in badges, leading athletic and artistic activities and acting as a guardian throughout their stay at camp. Through my experience as a writer on Boone Hilights newspaper, I learned the importance of teamwork and dedication as I worked to write stories, get pictures, design pages and meet deadlines. I also learned to respect and get assistance of those with more experience than I. I feel that I would be a valuable asset to your team due to my experience with the program, I have been attending resident camp since I was a brownie, and my familiarity with photography and design. I would gladly assist in photography for the camp website and in the design of leaflets and other publications. I appreciate the time you have taken to read my resume and cover letter. I hope that you consider inviting me to a personal interview so that I can further explain why I am qualified to work as a counselor at your resident camp. I look forward to seeing you soon. Respectfully yours,
Alexis Buskirk Enclosed: resume
Objective Become a counselor for Mah-Kah-Wee Resident Camp. Education Completed two years at Boone High School Unweighted GPA: 3.5 Weighted GPA: 4.8 Experience Hilights Newspaper, Boone High School Aug 2014-present, staffer. Complete deadlines, conduct interviews, take pictures and write stories. Honors, Awards and Memberships National Junior Honor Society 2011-2013: Inducted into the National Junior Honor Society and partook in numerous volunteer events Girl Scouts of Citrus Council 2005-present: Currently volunteer as a counselor in training at resident camp during the summer and am an active member of troop 255 Key Club 2013-2014: A national organization aimed at helping the community. I was a member my freshman year and helped in many volunteering events on and off campus. 4.0 Grade Point Average for Three Years in Middle School: I was recognized as one of the thirteen eighth graders to complete all three years of middle school with a perfect 4.0 average. HOSA Aug 2014-present: A national organization that focuses on providing a bright future for future health professionals and bettering the community. I have aided in multiple community service events. Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando Jan 2015-present: Cares and finds loving homes for relinquished cats and dogs. I volunteer at least two times a month and have the task of interacting and caring for each cat and showing them to potential adopters. Babysitting 2013-present: Entertain, interact with the kids and care for animals. References Renee Burke- Hilights newspaper adviser 407-433-8451 Kathy Burns- Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando volunteer instructor kathy@petallianceorlando.org Chelsea Harmon- English 2 Honors teacher Chelsea.harmon@ocps.net
Alexis Buskirk 4387 Tidewater Dr. 32812 Orlando FL 407-558-1655 alexisbus1210@gmail.com
Alexis Buskirk Self-analytical Evaluation
Ever since I was young, I have always loved to string words together like beads to tell a story. I would carry around a journal to recount the mundane activities of my five year old life. In the fourth grade, my teacher took pride in sharpening my skills to help me make intricate and beautiful sentences. It wasn’t until I entered Journalism, which seemed like the obvious next step to refine my skills as a writer, that I learned to tell the stories of others instead of myself and that design and photography are necessary tools in the art of storytelling. Throughout my experience on Hilights newspaper, I have learned multiple production skills through Photoshop and InDesign such as basic design, placing photos and editing photos. I also improved my ability to take photographs with the correct lighting, interesting composition and action through photo days, sporting events and other miscellaneous events. These are skills I was new to two years ago upon entering journalism. Perhaps more important to me, as I do not plan to work in the journalism field in the future, are the values I have learned on teamwork and determination. This was the first time I was part of something that relied on every member so heavily and I am still coming to terms with the amount of commitment it takes. In the past, when I happened to fall behind, I only let myself down, but in a production such as newspaper, what I did affected the entire team. In order to complete my work I gave up time after school and much needed sleep. Even then, I relied on those more familiar than I with the production of a newspaper for help. One of the most important things I have realized in the past school year is that communication is key to success. Whether it was asking for help from other staffers or contacting people for pictures, my ability to reach out to others affected my work significantly. I hope to apply these values to anything I take on in the future.
Throughout my Freshman year, I heard stories of Boone’s traditions. My teachers would recall their days at Boone as either a student or teacher. I became fascinated with the history of Boone had wanted to share this fascination with others. So for my very first article pitch, I gave the idea of providing a collaboration of major Boone traditions for the new freshman on campus and those unaware of Boone’s past. The most challenging part of writing this article was conducting research. I spent a lot of time going through old yearbooks in search of our school’s rituals. Most of the time, I would find a single picture without any real description. I turned to my English teacher, Chelsea Harmon, as she too was fascinated by the history of Boone and comes from a well known Boone family with two retired teachers as parents and four alumni siblings. She sat down with me and listed all traditions that she could recall. It was also especially challenging to find a specific picture of a tradition, that I had only heard of prior to my research. I was able, after looking through several past yearbooks to find a picture of the White Out, in which, those who talked on the day of the Boone versus Edgewater game were marked as traitors with a big “E” painted on their forehead. It was far easier to picture things that were still going on like the iconic Rowdy Crowd and Harmon’s overalls. Like most newbies on staff, I had very little experience with being in charge of designing a page. My knowledge of design was limited to the basic principles I had learned in Journalism 1 the previous year. Though I managed to fit everything in a fairly appealing arrangement, I believe there is still room for improvement and know it would have turned out much better if I were able to apply the skills I have now. Despite my struggles, I believe this was a very informative and interesting piece that did a good job of introducing the school to new students in the first issue of the paper.
Alexis Buskirk Reflection One
Alexis Buskirk Reflection One
Design
Writing
Photo
Infograph
Design
Writing
Photo
Alexis Buskirk Reflection One
Infograph
Alexis Buskirk Reflection Two
N11. News feature: Triplets
Most students were unaware that we one, much less two, pairs of triplets on campus. By writing this article I hoped to briefly introduce them to the rest of the school and explain that, though rare, they aren’t all that different from anyone else. The story was only difficult to write because there were so many interviews to conduct and most of the triplets hadn’t really thought about what it meant to be a triplet and found it difficult to answer some of my questions.
N01. News Writing: Traditions I found it important to educate those new to Boone and returning
students on the traditions of the school they would be attending for the next four years and was excited for the opportunity to do so through my writing. As first deadlines seem to go, this news story was difficult for me to complete as I had minimal prior experience with design, photography and writing. The most difficult thing I came upon while writing this story was the research that had to be conducted. Thankfully, I had help from my English teacher, who is extremely enthusiastic about Boone and its traditions.
N29. Single sports photograph I love the way this picture captivates how each team battles for the ball but is at all times separated by a net, keeping them from using physical force to their advantage. The determination on the player’s face shows raw emotion in the heat of the game and captures the feelings of the moment. The action of the game is also magnificently portrayed.
Design
Writing
Photo
Infograph
Design
Writing
Photo
Feature, page 1, October 10, 2015
Alexis Buskirk Clips
Infograph
Alexis Buskirk
Clips
Feature, page 7, October 10, 2015
Design
Writing
Photo
Infograph
Design
Writing
Photo
Sports , page 12, October 10, 2015
Alexis Buskirk Clips
Infograph
Alexis Buskirk
Clips
Feature, page 9, November 7, 2015
Design
Writing
Photo
Infograph
Design
Writing
Photo
Entertainment, page 14, December 12, 2015
Alexis Buskirk Clips
Infograph
Alexis Buskirk
Clips
N ews, page 4, February 6, 2015
Design
Writing
Photo
Infograph
Design
Writing
Photo
Entertainment, page 15, February 6, 2015
Alexis Buskirk Clips
Infograph
Alexis Buskirk Clips
News, page 5, March 13, 2015
Design
Writing
Photo
Infograph
Design
Writing
Photo
Front, page 1, May 8, 2015
Alexis Buskirk Clips
Infograph
Alexis Buskirk Clips
Feature, page4, May 8, 2015
Design
Writing
Photo
Infograph
Design
Writing
Photo
Sports, page 12, May 8, 2015
Alexis Buskirk Clips
Infograph
Alexis Buskirk Clips
http://tinyurl.com/ku57v5c
http://tinyurl.com/lbzykzl
Alexis Buskirk Clips
Alexis Buskirk Clips
http://tinyurl.com/knr9plh
http://tinyurl.com/kyd7lb5
Alexis Buskirk Clips
Alexis Buskirk Clips
http://tinyurl.com/mr7prhh
http://tinyurl.com/mr7prhh
Alexis Buskirk Clips
Alexis Buskirk Clips
http://tinyurl.com/nhao43t
HEAD TO HEAD. In the match against Oviedo Sophomore Dominick Orlando battles for the ball. “They always talk about how high I can jump and I think my athleticism plays a big part,� Orlando said. Orlando made 50 kills for the season.
Sports, page 12, March 8, 2015
Alexis Buskirk Clips
Alexis Buskirk Clips
THE WALL. On Sep. 11, in the Lake Highland game, senior Sarah Chapman prepares to block a hit. Chapman claims that the team did not expect to be doing so well and owes their success to their strong relationships. “We have good chemistry so we play better on the court,� Chapman said.
Sports, page 12, October 10, 2014
Alexis Buskirk Design One
Alexis Buskirk Design One
Alexis Buskirk Who am I?