Authenticity in this context refers to the honest, unfiltered portrayal of student experiences and stories. It means moving away from scripted narratives and turning towards the real experiences of students— their achievements, challenges, hopes, and dreams.

As we navigate the digital age, leveraging the power of authentic student voices is becoming increasingly vital. Student stories, replete with personal experiences and aspirations, can bridge the gap between the institution and potential donors, offering a genuine glimpse into the lives that their contributions can impact.

A study by Cohn & Wolfe showed that authenticity is one of the top qualities that attract modern consumers to a brand. In higher education, institutions are the brands, and students are the ambassadors. Harnessing authentic student voices can create a genuine brand image with which potential donors connect.

THE POWER OF AUTHENTIC STUDENT STORIES: A STONEHILL COLLEGE EXAMPLE

Stephen Cobbs, a senior at Stonehill College

Stephen Cobbs, a senior at Stonehill College, provides a compelling testament to the power of authentic student stories. A budding athlete since childhood, his dreams of playing Division I football seemed to shatter when he suffered a significant hip injury.

Despite doctors’ devastating news about his uncertain future in sports, Stephen didn’t lose hope. His journey of recovery, underpinned by unwavering support from his physical therapist Kayla and the Stonehill College coaches and faculty, showcased his resilience and determination.

His story goes beyond just his athletic journey. It paints a holistic picture of Stephen, showcasing him as a student-athlete striving to break the stereotype often attached to the label. He embodies the student body at Stonehill College - diverse in interests, engaged in their community, and striving for personal and academic growth. Stephen’s narrative conveys more than any scripted appeal could. His thoughts and words help us understand the heart of a student-athlete at Stonehill College, his challenges, his perseverance, and the college’s impact on his life.

THE IMPACT OF AUTHENTIC STUDENT STORIES

Real student stories like Stephen’s can profoundly impact potential donors. They provide a human face and a personal narrative of a cause, making the donation appeal more compelling. Authentic stories allow donors to see the direct impact of their contributions, making the experience much more rewarding and personal for them.

When donors hear authentic student stories, they’re not just being asked to donate; they’re invited to become a part of a student’s journey. This direct and personal appeal fosters a deeper connection between the donor and the institution, which, in turn, can lead to increased engagement.

AUTHENTICITY IN THE DIGITAL AGE

In the digital age, where we are exposed to countless marketing messages daily, authenticity stands out. Although many try, it’s not something somebody can manufacture; when done correctly, exploring real student experiences and stories will act as a beacon, drawing in those looking for something real, something they can trust. And in higher education marketing and development, this is more crucial than ever.

In essence, authenticity isn’t just a trend or a buzzword - it’s a powerful force that can shape the future of higher education marketing and development. As demonstrated by students like Stephen, authentic voices paint a more accurate and honest picture of student life and resonate more deeply with potential donors by giving a much more personal and rewarding experience.

Links

• Stonehill College

• Stonehill College YouTube

• Stonehill Twitter

• Devlo Media

Have you heard the sound of a Hasselblad 501CM shutter as you so delicately and steadily press the button? It makes my heart swell (all photographers reading this are now sighing). It’s the sound of your image forever etched in light. It creates a tangible image, something you can physically hold onto. Well, that being said, you are still going to scan it, retouch it, back it up across a few hard drives, size it down (like, wayyyy down), and throw it up on your website, post to social media… and on it goes.

I graduated from college just before the rise of the digital camera, which meant that when I studied photography I shot on film and I am forever grateful that I did. There is something beautiful about the torture of waiting for your film to come back from the lab... did that amazing shot come out? Did I expose it properly? Did the lab lose power when my film was in the machine?! A lot of these fears may seem irrational to most, but some of you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Shooting digitally, you can snap away hundreds of photos in just a few minutes and not think a thing of it. Then you can look at what you are shooting, usually referred to as chimping (not a very endearing term) and check exposure, framing, adjust, and continue shooting. You are limited by the size of your compact flash card and battery. THIS IS GREAT! Well, maybe not so much. Who am I kidding, it is really great.

Shooting film, you don’t have that instant gratification of knowing if the shot came out the way you planned. First, you only have 36 shots, or 12, or even just one. Shooting this way, you really have to take a longer look at the frame and make your editing decisions on the spot - do I keep that tree branch, how much sky does this shot need, ahhh crap I have to remember to leave room for type. And second, it takes 3 hours to run through the developing process, and that would only happen if you shot the film at the lab and handed it directly to the tech. These days it takes 3 days or up to a week to get your film back as labs will do one run a week. Today everything moves so quickly and turnaround times are crazy. We shoot, dump, process, and send - in a day. You can’t move that fast with film, which is why its great to take the time to switch things up, throw a roll in the Hasselblad, and see what happens. Its like hitting option-command-esc on your Mac when you have the spinning wheel of death, but for your brain. For those of you on a PC, well, thats cool.

There is still a time and place for film. I yearn for the days when I could take a week or two to decide what my favorite shot was from a shoot. Look, I’m not knocking technology. As photographers, we can do so much more with so much less (I’m not talking money though, duh). Film is romantic. Film is why most of the photographers working today got into this profession, it is their first love. Most students in photography programs today are not learning on film, they’ve gone straight to digital not ever experiencing the agony of waiting. BUT these students know that they are missing something. They are exploring film in all formats, craving the feeling of suspense in their work. Film is having a comeback. My younger colleagues ask me all kinds of questions about film and its made me realize that I’ve been missing it. I’m currently editing photos that I shot on FILM while on a trip to Norway, Sweden and Iceland this summer. And yes, I’m scanning them, retouching them, backing it all up, and I will size wayyyy down so that I can share with you on social media.

-Kate Kelley

If you’ve worked with us in the recent past, you’ll know that we’re big fans of the ‘Gram. The instagram that is. We love sharing our behind the scenes phots, connecting with cool filmmakers and photographers from around the world, and John loves taking behind-the-scenes photos of our behind-the-scenes Instagram shoots (Instagramception?) 

So it’s not surprising that we connected with Kibera photographer Bryan Jaybee (@KiberaStories) on Instagram when we noticed that some of his photos were in the exact same location in the Kibera Slum that the we’d shot before in 2012.

Fast forward to a 2018 trip to Kenya joined by the amazing photographer Lou Bopp. We found ourselves with a day off and on whim, we messaged Bryan to meet up with him. We’d never met him in person before - and our driver was hesitant to take us to the slum but Brayn told us he’d show us around and to come at daybreak to get the best light — so off we went. 

The morning we met him was a perfect example of the shared language of photography: clashing cultures that came together over a total camera geek-fest with us waving our 5D Mark IV’s around and talking equipment while Bryan led us to the best sunrise spots in Kibera. 

We decided to come back later in the day and do a profile on him and capture how he sees Kirbera and the world around him. We’re working on developing this short documentary now and can’t wait to share it with you. Traveling to new places to explore new stories and make connections with different local filmmakers and photographers is one of our tentpoles as a company. We not only try to capture authentic curiosity, but we live it.

(Photos by Lou Bopp and Devlo Media)

This summer we traveled to Norway, Iceland, and Sweden which caps off our travels to the Scandinavian Countries: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. Below are some of our favorite shots from these countries. 

Iceland

Iceland

Iceland