Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Carpenter.
Hi Jessica, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I joined BridgeUSA as a freshman in college at Arizona State University. Back then, we were only about 10 chapters big, with ASU being one of the biggest. Since then, we’ve grown to over 75+ college and high school chapters around the U.S., including one at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. I joined the BridgeUSA national organization full-time after graduation in 2021 and have been a part of the journey since then. We’ve learned many years to help us get where we are today. The team and I have spent countless hours doing interest calls, outreach, fundraising, and marketing to generate awareness and build the chapters we have now. However, our students are the backbone of this organization. They’re the ones who are bringing thousands of their peers into constructive discussion every semester and helping change their campus’ political culture for the better.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The idea that we can get along and work together despite our disagreements isn’t trendy today– which is why BridgeUSA exists! It’s been hard to show people that these discussions across lines of difference are possible and that thousands of others want something like this. What we see in the news or on social media tells us that everyone around us is crazy and will cancel us for our beliefs. Still, the reality is that a majority of Americans want to have these discussions. So, showing that and sharing those stories can be complex because not only are we trying to show a different narrative from the mainstream, but now people are also hesitant to share their thoughts, which can hinder conversations from even happening.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am the Chief Marketing Officer at BridgeUSA, overseeing the organization’s external and online presence. I enjoy doing the social media part of it because that’s where so many people are now, where they engage and have conversations. It’s fun communicating online with Gen Z because our attitudes toward life are more sarcastic and unserious, so finding a way to communicate this severe problem of internal division within our country and meshing that with humor has been fun.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My advice for finding a mentor is to develop a personal relationship with them. My best connections have come from meeting someone professionally, learning who they are outside of that, and finding what motivates them or what they’ve learned from their own experience. Showing people you care about them as a person creates a mutual relationship where you both benefit from knowing each other.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bridgeusa.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridgeusa_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BridgeUSA1/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BridgeUSA_
Image Credits
BridgeUSA, BridgeUSA chapters (their Instagram handles are included in the pics)
