Julianna Claase: Putting Passion and Purpose to Work

by Ela Schwartz

Julianna Claase, a senior, describes herself as “a person of mixed passions.” She’s a graphic design major and Levermore Global Scholar, an artist with a keen eye for branding, a savvy businessperson and an activist intent on making a difference. Her résumé is so packed with University employment, involvement, honors and awards that it’s difficult to contain all her accolades on one page. That problem doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon.

When Claase heard that the Community Fellows Program had a position open for a graphic designer to work on marketing and public relations for the Huntington Arts Council (HAC), she jumped on it.

“I knew it was a great way to capitalize on my abilities and help me decide if I wanted to be in the nonprofit world,” she said.

Claase’s specific role was to promote HAC’s Summer Arts Festival, which, as she described, features “a phenomenal lineup for 40 nights of the summer.” She strategized with staff on how to promote the festival to the next generation of arts aficionados and increase traffic to the website and social media sites. She made it a personal goal to get HAC’s Facebook page to 2,000 likes, which she surpassed, increasing the page’s fan base by 9.3 percent. Aside from marketing and public relations, she designed print and Web materials, updated the website and rebranded brochures.

The experience affirmed Claase’s commitment to influencing change in her community.

“They understand the importance of the arts and how creativity affects every aspect of life and of a business. I am still doing some freelance work for them, so it’s great to have that connection.”

Claase continues to put her skills to use for a good cause. Last year she and fellow student Samantha Garguilo ’14 started the Adelphi chapter of I Am That Girl. Claase is now the chapter leader and does graphic design on a volunteer basis for the nonprofit organization. In Spring 2015 she will intern with Lovesocial, an agency in Lower Manhattan.

“They’re like-minded in having purpose and passion behind [their] work,” she said. “I’m looking forward to working with and learning from them.”