2. Katie Massad Portfolio
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3. Table of Contents
Resume
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Samples of my written work
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Samples of my creative work
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Samples of my work designing t-shirts
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4. Katie A. Massad
(T) 405.706.8426 (E) katiemassad@yahoo.com
Education
University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK)
- Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication, Advertising Option / Minor in Psychology
- Overall GPA: 3.4
- Planned Graduation: May 2015
Relevant Work Experience
Fab Five Cheer Camp, Director/Founder (Oklahoma City, OK)
May 2009 to Present
- Organize and teach a private cheer camp for elementary aged girls
- Demonstrated growth annually from 20 attendees in 2009 to 80 attendees in 2013
Katie’s Concierge Service, Self-Employed (Oklahoma City, OK)
May 2011 to Present
- Manage concierge service business, assisting up to five clients simultaneously
Stella & Dot, Independent Stylist (Oklahoma City, OK)
July 2011 to Present
- Manage jewelry trunk shows at four separate clients each quarterly
- Utilize organizational and communication skills to increase sales
Stella Rae’s Clothing Boutique, Retail Employee (Norman, OK)
June 2013 to Present
- Promote Stella Rae’s clothing and develop client relationships
Twin Hills Golf and Country Club, Beverage Cart Server (Oklahoma City, OK)
Feb. to Sept. 2012
- Utilized organizational and management skills to assist members and staff with their needs
Honors and Awards
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Member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society
Relevant Coursework
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Advertising: Introduction to Advertising, Advertising Research, Advertising Media, Advertising Copy and Layout
Mass Media: Marketing, Writing in the Mass Media, Mass Communications
Relevant Skills
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Proficient on PC and Mac operating systems
Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook)
Journalism experience: fact checking, feature writing, news story writing, etc.
Campus Involvement
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Alpha Phi Sorority-Phi Chapter (2011-Present)
New Member Educator for the Alpha Phi Sorority (2012)
T-Shirt Chairman for the Alpha Phi Sorority (2012 – Present)
Member of the Gaylord College Advertising Club (2012-present)
Executive Officer for A Life to Love organization (2013)
Community and Volunteer Activities
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Volunteer for Father Flanagan’s Boy’s Home – National non-profit organization (2009-present)
Volunteer for the Governor’s Mansion – Friends of the Mansion (2013)
Member of the Oklahoma Media Network (2012-present)
Member of the Oklahoma City Advertising Club (2012-present)
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5. Writing Sample 1: Disneyland
The Happiest Place on Earth
The thought of living a fairy tale life crosses the minds of many people, young and old. A
fairy tale consists of perfection and happiness. Achieving these things completely comes as a task
to many and maybe is not even attainable. Walt Disney, a huge contributor to the idea of fairy
tales, created a theme park called Disneyland. Displaying numerous aspects of joy, bliss, and a
carefree land, Disneyland’s catchy slogan is “The Happiest Place on Earth”. What makes
Disneyland able to be portrayed as such? Is it the age of the people attending? Maybe it is the
region it is in. What makes it the happiest place on Earth?
An experiment being done involves two groups of 10 people from ages young and old, yet
both groups contain the same amount of people from each specific age. The first group is going to
Disneyland only, while the second group is going to Disneyland as well as another theme park, Six
Flags. If the two groups go to Disneyland even if it is or is not being compared to another theme
park, then it will be clear to both groups that Disneyland’s attractions make it the happiest place on
Earth. The independent variables of this experiment are the specific ages of the people in each
group and the theme parks the groups go to. The dependent variable is the opinions and emotions
felt by both groups of people after their visits to determine if Disneyland truly is the happiest place
on Earth. The groups’ level of happiness can be operationally defined by the amount of positive
emotion released after their visit to Disneyland. This can be measured by asking a human observer
to monitor each group to determine how often they smiled.
For the manipulated variable, the experimental group in this experiment is the group of
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6. people who are going to both Disneyland and Six Flags. The control group is the group of people
who are going to only Disneyland.
This experiment can end up producing incorrect results that are not as desired. Some errors
can include, the person observing and measuring the amount of times each participant smiles
could miscount and skew the relation of amount of smiles versus a person’s happiness. Another
error could be that the groups could have been to Disneyland before, resulting in them not having
as much excitement during and/or after their experience at the theme park. To avoid these errors, it
is necessary to have the observer have a past of observing intricate details about one’s emotional
state. This is necessary to be able to receive the correct amount of information from each
participant. Also, to avoid the lack of excitement due to previously visiting Disneyland, each
participant needs to clarify whether or not they have been to Disneyland.
It is clear that when an experiment is highly developed and detailed the correct results will
be the outcome. After conducting this experiment attentively, the ability to determine whether or not
Disneyland is truly “The Happiest Place on Earth” should prove to be very simple.
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7. Writing Sample 2: Autobiography
Bonded for Life
March 24, 1993, 5 pounds and 3 ounces, a child by the name of Katie Alexis Massad had
been brought into the world. As a newborn child, Katie had no clue who any of the faces staring at
her were, why her cheeks were being pinched continuously, or what kind of environment she was
about to be raised in. As the years flew by and Katie grew older, the true meaning of family was
brought to her attention. She began to gain the knowledge that just because she was born in
Oklahoma does not mean that she is strictly Oklahoman and nothing else. Trying to explain
genetics and family heritage to a young child can be a difficult task for many. Katie had a difficult
time completely comprehending her heritage, but as the days went on, it became clearer to her.
Katie’s heritage was explained to her, step-by-step visually and orally. She finally figured out
her roots and that she is one half Lebanese. At a young age of 6, the word Lebanese truly does
sound foreign, but living where Katie did gave the word Lebanese a new meaning and honor.
Being raised in Oklahoma, Katie began to realize how many relatives she had, which came as a
shock to her. Ones she knew personally, ones she didn’t know at all, ones she had met but does
not remember, and ones she wishes she did not remember. Lesli, the mother of Katie, did her very
best to try to explain the family connections with each “relative” Katie encountered, but none of the
explanations would stick or make any sense to Katie for that matter. Meeting new people nearly
everyday and calling them a “cousin” was pretty overwhelming and confusing for Katie.
At the age of 7, Katie began to attend St. Elijah Orthodox Church with her grandmother.
Most members of the Lebanese community attended this church, but walking in was overwhelming
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8. for her. The church is where she met many of her so-called “cousins”. Going to church every
Sunday and seeing those people who have the same connection as her made it feel like home.
Being there was like being with family for Katie. Taking a part in fashion shows, belly-dancing, and
Lebanese traditions made Katie feel more special than any average child her age.
As the years progressed, Katie’s attendance in the Orthodox Church dwindled. She still
continued to see her large Lebanese family on a daily basis. Going out to dinner would lead to
talking to an Aunt for an hour that she ran into at the restaurant. Being from such a large, yet close
family; it made Katie very appreciative of what she had been blessed with. Not every kid can get
together with their family in a huge room, hold hands and dance and sing all night long. Even
though Katie was not directly or even related at all to all of the people she considered cousins,
aunts or uncles, the different families combine into one large loving family. Having multiple
traditions makes the bond between a family that much more special. To this day, Katie Massad
thinks the family and traditions she was brought up in was the biggest blessing of her life. There
truly is no bond like the bond of a close-knit and happy family and Katie gets to experience that
bond for the rest of her life.
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9. Creative Work Samples
Fab Five Cheer Camp
Since the Summer of 2009, I have directed a cheer camp I founded for
70+ girls, ages 5-10 in the Oklahoma City metro area.
In this position, I taught and supervised the girls who attended the camp. I
also design the t-shirts the directors and campers during the camp each
year.
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10. Creative Work Samples
During Fall 2013, I took a course called Advertising Copy and Layout. This
course allowed me to expand my knowledge of using Photoshop and InDesign.
Below are some of the creative pieces I constructed throughout the course.
Paranormal University
We were instructed to design posters to advertise a film being produced at the
University of Oklahoma, called Paranormal University.
HTTP;//PARANORMALUNIVERSITY.OU.EDU/
FACEBOOK.COM/PARANORMALUNIVERSITY.OU
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11. Creative Work Samples
Paranormal University (continued)
http://paranormaluniversity.ou.edu/
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12. Creative Work Samples
Etihad Airlines
We were instructed to create advertisements that placed a positive look on
Etihad Airlines.
The
gold
standard.
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13. Creative Work Samples
Sam Noble Museum of Natural History
We were instructed to create advertisements informing business people in the
Oklahoma community that they have the ability to hold their events at the Sam
Noble Museum.
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14. T-Shirt Design Samples
Since Spring 2013, I have been the t-shirt chairman for my sorority, Alpha Phi, at
the University of Oklahoma. I draw or sketch my design for each shirt and send it
to a printing company.
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