Ashley Edwards
Social Media Freelancer. Content Creator. Performer. Adventurer.
Moments before, I stood on the edge of the tallest bungee bridge in the world, debating whether to take the plunge, or not. Then, a thought popped into my head. This fear I am feeling, this emotion consuming me, is only temporary. However, the regret of not taking this dive is permanent, so I leaped.
That thought has followed me from my study abroad trip in South Africa back to the campus at Auburn University, further encouraging me to transfer to the University of Central Florida, while pursuing the dream I have had ever since I was a child: be a performer at Walt Disney World. After graduation, I sought to further advance my education, leading me to apply for my M.A. in Communications with a concentration in New Media and Marketing through Southern New Hampshire University. This motto, fear is temporary, but regret is permanent, will guide me in future decisions and careers I pursue.
I moved to Florida in 2017 to chase my childhood dream of being a performer at Walt Disney World. Thinking back
to my motto of fear is temporary, regret is permanent, I knew that I had to take this leap. I lived that incredible
dream dancing down Main Street U.S.A for three years while I completed my undergraduate degree and began my
Master’s. Through this journey, I realized that I must continue to follow my passions, which will strengthen my drive for a successful career.
Having a strong interest in entertainment, I changed my undergraduate degree to Entertainment Management, with the desire to learn more about the industry, opportunities, and related fields. From my experience working with Auburn University Dance Marathon Campaigns, and as Marketing Director for Knight-Thon at the University of Central Florida, I thrive in a team setting, drawing on my unique creative skillset, among other complimentary personality traits, to create successful media. Among these complimentary traits, a diverse portfolio of ambition to succeed, efficient communication, details to content and an optimistic outlook, were found to be rewarded in creating campaigns for Auburn University Dance Marathon, which won two awards – Excellence in Marketing and Design; Best Digital Media – at Dance Marathon Leadership Conference in 2017.
My desire to be successful stems from my experiences and lessons learned while studying abroad, opportunities and experiences that have contributed to an authentic personality and mentality. Although jumping off a bridge or out of a plane fed my adventurous nature, learning about a multitude of different cultures fed my curiosity. Whether I was climbing cliffs in Switzerland, floating in the canals through Venice or being charged at by a rhino in South Africa, traveling abroad not only helped me learn about the foundation of civilization as a whole, but how people think, listen, and understand; all of which are valuable to know in order to be highly successful in the field of communication and marketing. For example, in South Africa people use the word “ubuntu,” when translated means who I am is because of my relationships and experiences with other cultures. Traveling to thirteen separate countries in total helped me understand this, that the world may seem small, but experiences are never-ending, and you should not take a single opportunity for granted, especially opportunities that let you grow exponentially.
With this lesson driving my ambition, I am pursing a new career dream, allowing me to apply and grow a skillset that has begun to flourish, yet has the potential to bloom in the entertainment, marketing, and media industries. Living out this performing dream has taken hard work, dedication and much rejection; but, fear is temporary, regret is permanent so I take advantage of every opportunity and I am excited to see what new dream is next.