The Good Side of Being Chronically Online – Our PR Journey

Hello Uvinya here,

As I wrap up my two year Rotaract journey with nostalgia and heartfelt pride, let me reflect on this journey that transformed me in many ways that I never could have imagined, a journey which I can proudly word as one of the most rewarding chapters of my university life. It’s a space where I grew and constantly learned. I began my Rotaract story as a general member who was mostly clueless, yet driven by the teenage passion of joining a university club with an aching yearning to get the experience. Was it worth it? I won’t hesitate to say yes. At first, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I attended meetings and signed up for projects and slowly started to catch the Rotaract vibe. My very first project experience was joining the OC of our seniors’ 14^th Installation Ceremony, and that is where Rotaract shaped my journey by pushing me out of my comfort zone, which made me realize that growth begins where familiarity ends. Afterwards, I got to meet a lot of new people and some amazing new seniors who were incredibly supportive, which made my Rotaract journey a truly wonderful one. As a general member, I had the freedom to explore different aspects of the club, from every single Editorial project to volunteering in PD projects, and each experience helped me to develop the confidence to take more. Then came the PR director role, something I never dreamed of. As I mostly took part in Editorial and PD projects, and never in a single PR project as a general member, I hadn’t envisioned myself in a role that demanded creativity and a broad technical knowledge, but somehow, life had other ideas. And trust me, I’m so grateful it did.

I stepped into this role with no background in designing and with absolutely no clue how to use Canva, so I had to learn everything from scratch. But with time and effort I grew confident in making posts and handling Canva and I’m happy to say that it genuinely became something I enjoyed. The PR role was fast paced and my Co-Director, Mithu and I had to handle a long list of responsibilities, some visible, many behind the scenes.  From the moment a project was approved the PR process began and there goes the constant logo checking, adjusting logos, fixing posts and planning timelines. All of this became a part of our daily lives. Handling our social media platforms was like running a full-time newsroom as every project has its own story to tell, and we had to make sure that it was crafted properly for the wider public to enjoy and connect with. We kept our FB, Youtube and Tiktok pages updated and most importantly our Instagram page super aesthetic which we both worked hard on. As PR directors, we also got to know what true anxiety felt like, the kind that hits when we see our president tagging us in the group chat with a sudden, “Can you post this ASAP?”, “Need this posted by tonight”, or the classic “Hey guys, we need a post for this”.  This became our version of a jumpscare . Let’s not forget the PR projects we planned as well. Starting from our very first project “Booktok: Where we discover and discuss” which was a collaboration with our Editorial team, to our two own projects “Memeverse” and “Rotaract Effect”. One of the things I’m proud of is how we transformed our PR projects into platforms of storytelling and how we created engagement especially through projects like “Rotaract Effect” (planned in the last moment cuz both of us forgot that we need to cover a citation). Anyways, seeing people react, engage and appreciate our work truly made every sleepless night worth it. This journey would not have been half as fulfilling without my Co-Director, Mithu who made every challenge feel a little lighter. Together, we shared the workload and managed each task smoothly even at the last minute. It wasn’t easy but I’m thankful for bearing up with me and for all the support she gave despite her busy work schedule. Also, a special thanks to our amazing Editors Janani and Chamodi for coordinating with us, and for our EXCO and Board for placing their trust on us.

For me personally, Rotaract and the heap of responsibilities I got along with it, shaped my character, unlocked new strengths and gave stories I’ll cherish for life, and in the role of the PR Director, I found purpose and self-confidence which gave me strength to believe in myself. And so, I sign off, not just from a role, but from a chapter that started with uncertainty and ended with growth and  success. 

Mithu: 

I can’t lie, my rotaract journey went from a 0 to a 100.

I initially just joined Rotaract to be a part of something bigger than myself.  Coming to uni a little later than the rest, I was grasping at the straws of whatever last minute spots clubs had to fill. The Rotaract Club of the University of Colombo, Faculty of Arts, welcomed me with open arms, and I was glad to see some familiar faces too.  I didn’t do too much at first, but then I signed up for the club’s most famous annual fundraiser “Baila Night” – and BAM, I was immersed into the sphere of handling all things related to media and marketing.  And I realized I was good at it.

I believe my efforts from that project along with a few other PR related work landed me a spot on the board.  As much as I loved getting the position, I severely underestimated the amount of work that would go into overseeing the entire PR of a decently large club.  From overseeing various PR plans of the multitudes of projects that were taking place – a lot of them overlapping consistently, to receiving posts and captions as well as spontaneous situational posts, holidays, birthdays, from “okay, we need this done ASAP” to “can i have a post NOW” this position was and will be no feat for the weak. Somehow Uvinya, my Co-Director and I managed to pull most of it off (despite our President being extremely fed up with us – jk she loves us), and it was very much a team effort. Uvinya and I were both busy, so when it came to the workload, we did our best to alternate.

To be frank with you, I had no idea what Canva was before 2023. After being introduced to the software, I figured it was highly convenient, especially in terms of making Roatarct posts. I also took on the videography aspect and went to town with some of our videos that were so fun to make.  I loved how the board was complicit in letting me explore my ideas, they really were down for anything so I didn’t have any creative boundaries.  Some of our videos received a lot of positive feedback and our social media pages thrived.

It wasn’t long before some of those faces became some of my closest friends at uni, and this journey would have been empty without them. From physical meetings that always began with conversations where we spoke of anything but Rotaract, to late night calls and crash outs, I had a blast with the Rotaract Board of my year.  It was fun to participate in, network in, meet new faces and socialize with our own at various events.   

I am very grateful for my time here as a general and board member, and I advise those who read this to have fun and enjoy your time here, but do NOT forget about the real reason you joined the club.  And that is to do your duty in the post you’re given, and work hard to make the world you live in a little bit better.  Your efforts are an extension of yourself, and every little one counts. 

-Rtr. Uvinya De Zoysa & Rtr. Mithahasini Ratnayake (Public Relations Directors, 2024/25)