POMONA, Calif. - The Cal Poly Pomona Athletics Communications and Marketing team played an important role in this year's all-campus communicators retreat, Comm-Chella, a day designed to bring together communication professionals from across campus to connect, share ideas, and strengthen their storytelling and strategic communication skills.

Assistant Athletic Director of Marketing and Creative Services, Sarah Macias, served on the event's planning committee and co-led a session focused on storytelling and the evolving trends that define what makes a story impactful. She emphasized that transformation is more powerful than information, personal narratives are key to driving engagement, emotions should be deeply explored within stories, and meaningful connections are built by aligning stories with the audience's identity.
 

Athletics was also represented in a panel discussion on media relations, featuring Assistant Athletic Director of Communications, Alex Kline, and Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, Delanie Gearing. Together, they spoke on topics such as tracking media success, the benefits of cross-departmental collaboration, and the importance of keeping the student voice at the center of campus storytelling.

Through their participation in Comm-Chella, the Athletics Communications and Marketing team has begun building new collaborations with departments across campus. These partnerships aim to further highlight the achievements of student-athletes, both in their athletic pursuits and academic accomplishments, while reinforcing the shared goal of telling meaningful and inclusive stories across Cal Poly Pomona.