From Students to Storytellers: Alumni Provide Communications to Schools

When any alumni returns to their school, there is always a sense of nostalgia. Memories with friends, teachers and moments in academic journeys always come back to life. For two members of the CVES Communications Team, they have returned to their old stomping grounds with a new purpose.

Publication Specialists Olivia Bousquet and Amelia Stevens are providing support to their former schools through the In-District Communications Service CVES launched in 2022.
One time per week, Amelia stations herself in Chazy, while Olivia heads to Peru. The in-person model was developed to create a proactive approach to component districts’ communications needs.

“The most effective way to establishing connections with staff and students is to be visible and to be positive,” Olivia said.

“Making yourself visible is the biggest key to success. Prior to being in-district, students and staff have no idea who you are, and then you randomly start showing up with a camera at events or classrooms. I think that just by walking in the halls or consistently showing up to events, your face becomes a part of the norm and people expect to see you around.”

Of course when Olivia is at Peru, there is already a sense of familiarity, which is an added bonus to the in-district model. The same goes for Amelia in Chazy.

“I really enjoy being back at Chazy with some of my former teachers and now building a professional relationship with them instead of a student-teacher one,” Amelia said.
“It’s also been great working in a building where I’m already familiar with all the little quirks and traditions and being able to share that knowledge with others who might not understand them unless they’ve been part of the school.”

COMMITMENT TO DISTRICTS
Boquet Valley was the first school district to utilize the in-district model, and Olivia was the first member of the Communications Team to be embedded. Right from the start, there was a closeness felt and a regular routine established that made the work structure better.

“By being in the school each week, I’m able to see and interact with students and staff regularly. Through this model, I am no longer a stranger to the district, but part of the school community. I’ve developed a closer connection to the district, and it makes it easier to meet face-to-face with administrators, teachers and students for content and projects.”

In the busy work cycle of the Communications Team, structure is vital. There are countless projects being completed each day and new assignments being handed out. CVES currently works in district once per week with Beekmantown, Boquet Valley, Chazy and Peru as well as a half day per week with Willsboro.

“As a Communications Team, we value the partnerships we have with our Component Districts, and having the chance to work with them, tell their success stories and provide communication support is what we are here for,” Communications & Publications Manager Joey LaFranca said. “I fully believe being on-site makes the work we do more impactful, and I am very proud and happy for Olivia and Amelia that they have a chance to work with their former schools. Their work is always outstanding, and they are even better people.”

CHAZY SUCCESS
There are several jobs both Amelia and Olivia have completed since working with their hometown districts that make them proud.

Growing Chazy’s social media presence has been one of Amelia’s top priorities. Chazy did not have an Instagram account, so that changed once Amelia was on board. The account has experienced plenty of success with exponential growth and follower engagements.
Additionally, designing Chazy’s school newsletter from scratch and doing a soft redesign of the school’s website also rank high on Amelia’s project list favorites.

“Being in-district is a great advantage for both us and the schools we work with,” Amelia said. “It lets us focus entirely on the specific needs of the school we’re serving. Being on-site also gives us a chance to see what’s really happening day-to-day and gives us a heads up about different events or successes we can communicate to the community. Building
relationships with staff and students makes it easier to demonstrate how wonderful the district is to the public and really mean it.”

PERU PRIDE
Since the start of the 2024-2025 school year, Olivia has had her hands busy for projects that have made a lasting impact with Peru. She worked on a video profile with Peru Senior Brady O’Connell that was submitted for the New York Giants’ Heart of a Giant Award. The project gave Olivia the chance to speak with Brady, his teachers, friends and family, which left a lasting impact on so many.

In the social media world, Olivia helped Peru students connected with Sweethearts and Heroes begin their own Instagram account and provide guidance. You may see the students’ account promoting a student-led podcast called “The F.I.S.H. Perspective,” where they explore topics like empathy, leadership and personal growth. Stories about this group can be found in the revitalized school district newsletter that Olivia works on quarterly.

Last but not least, Olivia launched a social media campaign to promote those who give the most to Peru to support students. Every other week, two staff members are highlighted on social media and ParentSquare for their contributions to the school community.

“The great thing about these spotlights is that employees are nominated by their colleagues,” Olivia said. “This has allowed for some wonderful things to be shared about people working in the district. The positive engagement on social media has also been overwhelming. These posts always garner a lot of comments and shares. This project has also been great for me to meet staff within the building.”

REMEMBERING OUR WHY
When this in-district concept first launched, there was plenty of excitement because the Communications Team found a new way to support component districts.

“Shortly after I arrived to CVES in late 2021, I immediately found the most enjoyable part of the job was working with our school districts,” Joey said. “As time went on, I thought, ‘What better way to support our schools than to be with our schools in person.’ The best part of this is the stories our staff gets to take home each day.”

One of the most recent cherished memories came from Olivia when she photographed Peru’s Intermediate Holiday Concert where she connected with members of the Fifth Grade Media Club, especially a young aspiring student photographer. The student sat next to Olivia and asked her different questions about her job as she too was taking photos. Olivia
noticed how she was constantly checking her photos to see if they were good, and if she liked one, she would turn her display for Olivia to look at.

“I was there to capture these amazing moments of the Holiday Concert, which I enjoyed, but I was also able to connect with another student and share the amazing experience with her.”