Sweet Briar College, in Central Virginia, wanted to start a new chapter in its story as a leading women’s college. ASPR helped the independent college leverage its messages and explain to the media, admissions officers, parents, students, alumnae and faculty why it’s exceptional for “women making history.”
Little did Sweet Briar and ASPR realize that COVID-19 and the subsequent social distancing restrictions would lead to a whole different sort of history-making challenges. The pandemic provided an opportunity to pivot the story to highlight how Sweet Briar was well-positioned for these times; significant news coverage was secured in The Washington Post, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, a positive editorial in the Richmond Times-Dispatch and other pieces that explained how the institution had overcome many challenges.