Student-run social media account honored by council

Pitt-Bradford has received a Silver Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education for its People of Pitt-Bradford social media accounts.

The student-run social-media project was one of two projects recognized in the CASE District II Accolades Awards Program. The award will be presented during the CASE District II annual meeting later this month in Baltimore.

Modeled after the popular Humans of New York, the Facebook and Instagram accounts were the idea of Maya Bingaman, a junior international affairs major from Stevens as well as a member of Pitt-Bradford's student social media team and a student worker in the university's Office of Communications and Marketing.

Bingaman, working under the supervision of Digital Media Coordinator Ashley Young-Waters, interviews students, faculty, staff and other campus workers for a half hour or more to hear part of their story. Those featured have discussed a wide range of topics, including what inspires them, working toward self-improvement and dealing with depression.

Each profile includes a photo. Bingaman worked with student photographers Cody Dacosta, a sophomore computer information systems and technology major from Washington, D.C., during the 2016-2017 academic year and Nnedimma, Ugochukwu, a senior computer information systems and technology student from Washington D.C., during the current academic year.

“I've always had a curiosity for people and especially people I don't know because everyone has a story,” Bingaman said.

“I started this project as kind of a sneaky way to get to know more people as well as make their story and thoughts known. I've learned that if you ask someone a question they will answer, and you can learn a lot about people that way. I like that I get to hear stories and thoughts from people that they may not have shared in a long time, simply because no one asked.”

CASE has eight districts. District II is its largest, which includes more than 675 institutions from Pennsylvania; New York; New Jersey; Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Delaware; West Virginia; Ontario, Canada; U.S. Virgin Islands; and Puerto Rico.

You can follow People of Pitt-Bradford on Facebook at www.facebook.com/peopleofPB/ and on Instagram at @peopleof_pb.