Education
| Southeast Missouri State University BA in English with Art Minor – Magna Cum Laude | Cape Girardeau MO | Dec. 2013
GPA: 3.75/4.00 |
| Southeast Missouri State University MA Professional Writing | Cape Girardeau MO | May 2016
GPA: 4.00/4.00 |
Professional Experience
| Jump Company Performance Content Writer | St. Louis MO | Sept. 2019 to Present |
- Collaborates with account teams and project managers to develop client-facing presentations that rationalize and break down key marketing strategies.
- Partners with media department to translate complex digital marketing concepts for internal and external stakeholders.
- Develops presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint, and develops supplemental material in Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and Figma.
- Researches and strategizes ways to implement advancements in digital and traditional marketing.
- Maintains Copywriter responsibilities prior to promotion (next section).
| Jump Company Copywriter | St. Louis MO | Dec. 2019 to Present |
- Led content strategy for the website and products of AgXplore, a company specializing in plant nutrition, breaking down complex chemical processes so growers could understand the science behind the performance.
- Led content strategy for Software Solutions Integrated, the developer of EnergyForce and Agvance ERPs. Using technical documents, I crafted sales copy, video scripts, website content, and emails that simplified jargon for a non-technical audience.
- Worked closely with design and account teams on landing pages, email journeys, digital ads, and more to develop cohesive stories that supported campaign goals.
- Researched target audiences, competitors, trends and more to establish a deep understanding of markets and opportunities which I presented as part of our content strategy.
- Revised agency-wide writing and presentations to improve clarity, structure and prose.
- Crafts content and copy for a variety of industries: healthcare, higher education, insurance, financial, and agriculture.
- Collaborates with account teams to measure and analyze performance, developing strategies for improvement across projects.
| BOLD Marketing Content Director | Cape Girardeau MO | May 2016 to Nov. 2019 |
Noteworthy achievements
- For Standley Batch, a material handling plant manufacturer, I grew their blog’s organic, unique-visitor traffic by 167% in one year. I was the sole writer for this client, and in two years annual unique-visitor traffic had increased by 244%.
- In 2018, I wrote letters on a client’s behalf in favor of an infrastructure project to members of congress and the President’s administration asking for their support. The FY19 Illinois budget passed with the development capital project receiving $1 million in funding.
Skills and responsibilities
- Interviewed clients to create compelling content that resonates with their audience, driving leads deeper into funnel.
- Constructed and evaluated client voice across social platforms and deliverables, ensuring brand standards and cohesive messaging.
- Lead in SEO & SEM content strategy (both paid and organic).
- Developed social strategy, campaigns, posts, and ads to encourage engagement and build a following.
- Generated copy and content for all collateral, including brochures, folder inserts, flyers, advertisements, etc.
- Constructed and writes website copy, email campaigns, radio and video scripts, press releases, blogs, and other items that support a client’s strategy.
- Collaborated with internal teams, including designers and account managers to develop lead-generating initiatives, campaigns and objectives.
- Developed and optimized pay-per-click campaigns, ad groups, and keywords within Google Ads.
Additional Experience
| Mothwin Productions LLC (Tabletop RPG Development Owner and Director | St. Louis, MO | Nov. 2021 to present |
Noteworthy achievements
- 2022: Winner of the Designer of the Year as part of “the*gamehers” awards.
- 2023: Raised $11,000+ for a tabletop RPG on a new-to-the-scene crowdfunding site with less than $300 in marketing funds.
- 2023: The Sticker Game won the “Most Innovative” award by the Indie Game Developer network.
- 2023: Launched my first Kickstarter and funded within 15 minutes.
- 2023: Winner of Rising Star Designer as part of the Tabletop Awards.
- 2024: One of my projects was recognized by Polygon as a top actual play moment of 2023.
Skills and responsibilities
• Writes easy-to-digest rules brimming with narrative voice and flavor.
• Uses technical writing and editing, video production, SEO mastery, empathy maps, and personas to craft award-winning and best-selling tabletop games.
• Writes, designs, and illustrates all projects and marketing materials across channels
• Manages projects and experiments with promotions and discounts.
• Enthusiastically presents and works at conventions and events representing my projects as well as others’.
• Updates and maintains the website after building it from scratch.
• Develops video trailers for in-house RPGs to use on Kickstarter and YouTube.
| Southeast Missouri State University – English Department Teaching Assistant | Cape Girardeau MO | August 2014 to May 2016 |
- Held instructional responsibilities for 15-24 students in EN100 and EN140 (Comp 1 and 2) per semester.
- Grading responsibilities for all students.
- Organized class pages on Moodle (Southeast’s online learning management system).
- Integrated multimedia (music, videos, podcasts, & presentations) to develop learning from multiple angles.
- Planned lessons day-to-day modifying them as needed to address stagnancy or acceleration.
| Center for Faulkner Studies Administrative Assistant | Cape Girardeau MO | January 2014 to May 2016 |
- Organized and edited the Teaching Faulkner newsletter.
- Edited the book we publish biennially.
- Designed fliers, posters, and handouts for use by the center.
- Worked hands-on with the Brodsky Collection.
| Center for Writing Excellence Writing Tutor | Cape Girardeau MO | August 2014 to May 2015 |
- Tutored both native and non-native English speakers at varying levels of writing experience.
- Wrote blog posts with writing tips for students.
- Worked distance learning students through online comments.
| State Historical Society of Missouri – Cape Branch– Administrative assistant | Cape Girardeau MO | March 2013 to Dec 2015 |
- Interacted with guests, professionals, and students in a welcoming and academic-centered environment.
- Assessed records and historical documents.
- Organized and documented historical collections.
- Collaborated with other research centers across Missouri.
- Fundamentally involved in opening the center.
| Center for Regional History and Cultural Heritage at Southeast Missouri State University – Publisher & Administrative assistant | Cape Girardeau MO | March 2011 to Dec 2013 |
- Interacted with guests, authors, and students in a welcoming and academic-centered environment.
- Learned the process of creating books (collaborating with printers, using InDesign, and manuscript editing).
- Webmaster for Center for Regional History website.
- Strategic Consulting, including business plan & sales strategy development.
- Designer, including book covers, brochures, posters & permanent fixtures.
- Record keeping, financial, & sales info.
- Negotiating, with authors, & businesses.
- Copyeditor for books & anything printed.
Academic Honors
Helix 2016 Graduate Researched Writing Award Winner – 2016
In addition to the honor, I was awarded a publication and cash prize.
Recipient of 2015-2016 Outstanding Teaching Assistantship Award
Literati Best Essay Award – Spring 2016
In addition to the honor, I was awarded a publication and cash prize.
Awarded Dorthy and Wedel Nilsen Memorial Scholarship – Fall 2015
Awarded to Master’s candidates in Professional Writing who are second-year, high-achieving students.
Awarded Martha Welman Dahringer Award Scholarship – Fall 2015
Scholarship given to English TAs with noticed commitment to Southeast Missouri State University.
Awarded CSIS Scholarship – Spring 2012
Southeast sponsored course work at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. This involved a semester-long course studying policy and world issues. I spent spring break at the CSIS in Washington D.C. 2012, listening to many lectures from professionals that have worked in multiple areas regarding world policy and government.
Sigma Tau Delta – Spring 2012
Initiated as a member of Sigma Tau Delta, an English Honor Society. I was inducted for maintaining a high GPA within the English department.
Southeast Missouri State Jane Stephens Honors Program Graduate
A cumulative high school grade point average of at least 3.4 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent) and An ACT composite score of at least 25 (or its equivalent) are required for a student at Southeast Missouri State to become a member. A completed semester project is required for graduation.
Editing and Publishing Work
Writing Bloc. Center for Writing Excellence. Spring 2015 issue.
Faulkner and Warren. Southeast Missouri State University Press. May 2015
Helix: A Journal of Interdisciplinary Research. Center for Writing Excellence. 2015 issue.
Teaching Faulkner. Center for Faulkner Studies. Fall 2014 issue.
Whittle, Dan. Canalou: People, Culture, Bootheel Town. Center for Regional History. 2013.
Bock, Jo Ann. Around the Town of Cape Girardeau in Eighty Years. Center for Regional History. 2013.
Dexter, Darrel. Bondage in Egypt: Slavery in Southern Illinois. Center for Regional History. 2011.
Stacy, Jane Cooper. A Mosaic of Memories of the Alumni Merit Award Recipients. Center for Regional History. 2011.
Professional Presentations and Publications
“Death by Sour Patch Kids.” published in apt magazine. Aforementioned Productions. Boston, MA. 2017.
“Time Management in Fiction Writing” published in Helix. Southeast Missouri State University. Cape Girardeau, MO. 2016.
“Teenage Angst and the Confused Horse it Rode in on: A Close Reading of Daniel Clowes’ Ghost World.” published in Literati. Southeast Missouri State University. Cape Girardeau, MO. 2016.
“Victims, Heroes, and Language Games in Oryx and Crake.” published in Literati. Southeast Missouri State University. Cape Girardeau, MO. 2016.
“Hypertext: the Next Frontier in Teaching Creative Writing.” Speaker. Radical Writes at Southeast Missouri State University. Cape Girardeau, MO. 2016.
“Assorted Flash Fiction.” Speaker. The Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture since 1900. Louisville, KY. 2016.
“Spandreling through Narrative.” Speaker. Provost’s Faculty Research & Creativity Showcase. Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO. 2015.
“Spiraling through Narrative Spandrels: An Exploration of Building on the Unplanned in Practice and Function.” Co-Speaker. Radical Writes at Arkansas State University. Jonesboro, AR. 2015.
“The Impossibility of Our Ideal Love Affair: Examining Lacanian theory in Oryx and Crake.” Speaker. The Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture since 1900. Louisville, KY. 2015.
“Globalization and Unemployment.” Speaker. Student Research Conference. Cape Girardeau, MO. 2012.
“Brother Jed.” published in Journey Magazine, Southeast Missouri State University 2011.
Presenter for Journey Reading Series: Oct 2010; Dec 2011; Nov 2014; Feb, April, May, Oct, Dec 2015; Feb 2016.
Cassandra Daugette 