From her leadership in the classroom as a Junior with a Public Relations major, to her leadership in her favorite campus ministry, Chi Alpha, McKenna Cook was gone above and beyond your typical go-getter status. She is a lover of coffee, as it is her key to successful early mornings, a Pinterest enthusiast and has a book collection too ambitious for her busy schedule. A Frederic, WI native with big dreams already being fulfilled, McKenna is a kind-hearted individual who will stop at nothing when it comes to fulfilling her passion in the life of PR.
After exploring the WSU’s beautiful campus, McKenna found her home here, and that home is Chi Alpha. Chi Alpha is one of the various campus ministries here at WSU. McKenna has been involved in Chi Alpha since freshman year. She tells us, “I have no idea what I would be doing now if I didn’t join my freshman year. Chi Alpha has really changed my life.” McKenna started attending small group, a personal connection-building group, during her freshman year, and is now leading her very own as a junior while also playing an active role on the ministry team. From video to social media presence, McKenna strives to continually enhance Chi Alpha’s presence on social media platforms and provide promotion for various events while sharing the Chi Alpha experience.
Chi Alpha has opened many doors for McKenna and one of those being the path to a new friend. McKenna was on a Chi Alpha retreat called SALT. After their evening service, McKenna was playing a few games with a group of friends when a man by the name of David came and joined. David and McKenna soon became great friends. “I have a lot of respect for him,” she says, “That is something that has never changed since then. I am really proud of the man he is and I’m a very lucky girl. He has shown me what it really means to be selfless and the way he lives his life challenges me to be a better person.”
Aside from McKenna finding her home at Chi Alpha on campus, she has also traveled off campus to seek out a journey of her own in the country, Ecuador. Over winter break, McKenna and her friend Erin went on a mission trip to Ecuador to use their skills in videography to serve. Erin and McKenna immediately clicked as they had many commonalities.
Along the journey they did 6 videos! Two of the videos were for a lady named Sandi and her jewelry business that employs local women in order to help support them and their families. McKenna and Erin were able to help Sandi develop her website and presence on social media. With a few product shots and some enhanced media presence, Sandi’s business was already growing. McKenna’s journey was far from over as she continued to meet wonderful people along the way and build connections. She says, “leaving everyone was the hardest part. We fell in love with Ecuador, and Erin and I know we will be back someday.”
If McKenna could travel anywhere at this current moment, though, her heart is in Brazil. She hopes to one day live there, whether short term or long term, and serve the incredible people that live there. She hopes to see poverty defeated and a beautiful sense of joy and light brought to the country. McKenna has ambitions that go above and beyond and we at Her Campus believe she will achieve them. We were thankful to have to the chance to catch up with a fellow writer and explore her world.