Belle Helps with Social Media for Pope's Visit to U.S.
Kelly Vaughan '17 is an official member
of the @PopeIsHope Digital Street Team
making posts related to Pope Francis's
visit to the U.S.September 23, 2015 (Notre Dame, IN)—Kelly Vaughan ’17 is doing her part to bring the excitement of Pope Francis’s first visit to America to social media, and she doesn’t even need to leave campus to do it. Vaughan was chosen among a pool of applicants from around the U.S. to be one of 30 people on the @PopeIsHope Digital Street Team. The team’s purpose is to capture images and stories surrounding the Pope’s visit showing that #GoodIsWinning in the world.
Well before the pope arrived in the U.S., Vaughan took to social media to spread the word about the #GoodIsWinning movement on the Saint Mary’s campus and beyond. She encourages Belles and followers of her @kellyv7 Instagram account to use the hashtag and post moments of happiness, joy, and love in their everyday lives. “I want to encourage people to look for the good in their lives,” Vaughan said, adding that she values the message behind the campaign because she sees the importance of bringing the positive aspects of life into the light.
The @PopeIsHope's #GoodIsWinning movement can be found all over Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. It's the work of Aleteia USA which has partnered with the Vatican to inspire a younger generation through the use of hashtags and emojis. A couple weeks ago, Aleteia introduced the now-popular “Popemojis” as an application (app) for smart phones and tablets, which depict a Pope emoji visiting American tourist attractions, dancing to music, and even taking selfies with his fans.
Two Saint Mary’s alumnae, Kathleen Hessert ’74 and Ellen Hoover ’90, are behind the scenes overseeing the digital aspect of Aleteia’s @PopeIsHope effort to reach out to media savvy millennials and encourage conversations focused around faith, social justice, joy, and acts of goodness initiated by Pope Francis’ visit.
@PopeIsHope and its #GoodIsWining campaign will not end when the Pope flies back to Rome. The Vatican and Aleteia USA are working to better understand and directly reach a new generation through their Digital street team members, such as Vaughan. She says she’ll continue to help them in their efforts. .
About Saint Mary's College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. Saint Mary’s College also offers two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College seeks, according to its mission statement, to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2016 published by U.S. News & World Report. Follow Saint Mary's College on Twitter @saintmarys and @saintmarysnews.
Contact for News Media: Gwen O’Brien, director of media relations, Saint Mary’s College, gobrien@saintmarys.edu (574) 284-4579
~Press release written by McKenzie Johnson '17, media relations intern.