Q+A: Krisi Maynard
By Turner Hill
Krisi Maynard wants to do more than tell her own story. She wants to tell your story too. She is a public relations student at University of Georgia who finds joy and purpose in telling stories even if the story is not about her. She cares deeply about the younger generation and has sought opportunities to help them grow in many different ways in her life. Whether it’s leadership at Winshape Camps or small groups at her church, she seeks experiences that give her the ability to have an impact on others.
Her commitment through change and hard times displays a strong dedication to her passions. This passion transfers over to her Public Relations Major, which she hopes to use to help bring intentionality and commitment to whoever she works for in the future. For Maynard, public relations is so much more than simply a job; it is a way to bring things to light and allows her to tell a story about anything the way she thinks it needs to be told. She will not measure her future success by her own actions and achievements, but by all the people she has had an impact on throughout her life and career. Most people in this world want to tell their own stories. In the end, all Krisi wants to do is to be able to tell the stories of those who may not know how to tell it on their own.
Turner Hill
So far, you said that you transferred, you changed your major. What is one of the biggest challenges you can think of that you’ve faced throughout your college career so far?
Krisi Maynard
Yeah, honestly throughout college I’ve gone through a lot of change. A lot of seasons and years in college for me have looked really different. When I started at Anderson that was a totally different vibe from UGA and coming here I didn’t know many people so getting adjusted to going to a hugely different school, and then finding my community here and also changing my major was kind of a lot, and I’ve been trying to figure out what I want to do so I’d say those are some of the biggest challenges for me.
Hill
You seem to be really involved with Winshape camps. You just said you really like youth and that kind of age, what made you get into that specifically?
Maynard
My first summer after college, I just spent at home. I’m a big extrovert so just spending a summer at home with my friends doing a lot of different stuff, I was not a fan of that. I knew I had been thinking about working as a camp counselor for a long time. I knew a lot of my friends were working for Winshape. So I was like I might as well apply. I ended up getting a position and did it my first summer and I’ve done it for two summers now. My first summer was really hard and I wasn’t sure I was going to apply to go back but then I just applied I was like, I’ll just see what happens. Then I ended up going back this past summer, which was a really good summer.
Hill
What would you say are some of the big effects Winshape has had on your life so far?
Maynard
I think one of the biggest effects, its had on me is I feel like I’ve grown a lot in leadership. Before Winshape I was never a very assertive person, definitely not a type A kind of dominant personality. And so I never really saw myself as a leader. But Winshape kind of helped me develop leadership skills and realize that I do have an impact on the younger generation and I can be a leader so I definitely grew a lot.
Hill
So, whether it’s career or anything, if you could set one goal for yourself for the next five years, what would that be?
Maynard
I think, honestly this is just one of my big life goals, and something that I like to focus on, I just really want to be intentional with the people around me, whether it’s my friends or just a random person that I meet throughout the day to just be intentional with everyone I meet, and to be a light to them and be able to serve and encourage people and find out how I can best pour into them.
Hill
And last question, after your career is over. What is one thing you hope to be able to look back to and say, this is something I’ve done?
Maynard
So this is one thing that really attracted me to public relations. I love storytelling and telling good stories. I think at the end of my career I would love to look back and say, I told really good stories and told stories that mattered and had an impact. I think it’s really fun because in public relations you get to work for a variety of clients so they’re not all telling the same story. I think I really want to look back and say I worked for a ton of different brands that had a ton of different unique missions that they were going after and I was able to help them fulfill that mission and purpose, that’s a big one.
