As PR director of Ascend, McKenzie Leary applied her skills to branding, partnerships and audience growth.
by McKenzie Leary, class of ’26
I never expected a journalism class to be where I learned the most about public relations, but it was in Sports Story taught by Ivan Miller, visiting professor of practice in sports journalism, where I got to put my PR degree to use for the first time.
Back in spring 2025, I wrote a story for the UO School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC) about its newest student publication: Ascend magazine. For the piece, I interviewed students across multiple teams, but the first person I spoke to was Miller.
He postponed our first meeting due to magazine deadlines, and by the time our meeting was rescheduled the next morning, he had a rumpled shirt and tired eyes. He asked if we could sit outside because he had just pulled an all-nighter with the Ascend staff to get the magazine ready to print. Even through his exhaustion, it was clear how passionate he was about the publication.
A few weeks later, I was walking through Allen Hall when Miller stopped me.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about sports journalism,” he said, “but I’d like you to write for the magazine next year.”
As a PR major, I hadn’t considered sports writing before. But after seeing the finished 11x14 magazine, my interest was piqued.
We are professional sports writers
By fall 2025, I started attending informal Friday meetings with a group of Allen Hall’s most creative and driven students. Miller encouraged us to think of ourselves as professionals, not as students. To think big and dream even bigger.
Students started coming to the meetings with interviews lined up with professional athletes. I secured an interview with legendary surfer Gerry Lopez.
Afterward, I met with Miller to discuss the interview and talk about story angles. I asked him if there was a spot for me to do PR work for the magazine. As a senior, I was searching for a real-world opportunity to get experience related to my public relations major.
Miller brought me onto the team as both a writer and a PR director.
By winter term, our four-person PR and advertising team — Sophie Lucas, Lara Clute, Isabel Sowieja and me — hit the ground running.
Our writers had already started working on stories about a diverse mix of UO and professional athletes, and our photographers had secured experiential learning funds to travel and take photos for the magazine. We were guessing the magazine would publish at a whopping 156 pages.
Building a professional media kit for Ascend
As the PR team for a new magazine, our primary goal was to build awareness across campus. We started by building a press kit. We revised the mission statement, collected magazine statistics and worked on Ascend’s branding.
Then, we polished our digital presence, revamping the Ascend website and building a social media strategy.
One of our most exciting projects was creating a slide deck that Miller could present at Nike headquarters in an effort to secure a partnership. We showcased stories from last year’s magazine and teased the stories we were working on for the upcoming issue.
Knowing Nike’s Oregon roots, we highlighted our mission, which was similar to Nike’s: to tell athletes’ stories in a way that goes beyond just what they’ve achieved. As a result, Ascend will pilot a partnership next year in which a few students will write stories for the Department of Nike Archives.
Ascend’s PR team, led by fourth-year public relations major McKenzie Leary, put together a press kit to pitch the magazine to potential sponsors.
Ascend offers real-world opportunities in public relations and journalism
As I reflect on my year as Ascend’s PR director, I am deeply touched by the connections I’ve made, the stories I’ve gotten to tell and share, and the satisfaction I got from seeing hours and hours of hard work come to life in a magazine I can hold in my hands.
Over the course of just a few months, we grew our Instagram following by 126%, we pitched partnerships with global and local brands and we helped Ascend solidify an identity that is sure to outlast the tenure of the current staff.
Ascend unexpectedly gave me the opportunity to apply years of PR coursework — from pitch writing to campaign strategy — in a setting that felt both professional and deeply collaborative. Through late-night deadlines, athlete interviews and hours spent designing, writing and brainstorming, the class provided me with valuable real-world applications of my degree. And for readers, Ascend offers a professional-quality magazine featuring impressive characters across the sports realm. So pick up a copy in Allen Hall or online.
McKenzie Leary is a fourth-year public relations major in the UO School of Journalism and Communication, with a minor in global studies. She is passionate about creating multimedia narratives, traveling and advocacy. McKenzie loves having the opportunity to share people’s stories and recently finished her first novel.