Will Schwinghammer, who recently joined Rapp Strategies as an Assistant Account Executive, brings experiences with writing, journalism, quantitative analysis, editing, and research to our team. Will graduated from Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict in 2021 with a degree in economics and a minor in English. He looks forward to working with clients to help them accomplish their strategic goals.

“I’m excited to be joining a team of experienced professionals where there is always something new to learn,” Will says. “Working at Rapp Strategies gives me the opportunity to get more involved in Minnesota public affairs.”

Prior to joining Rapp Strategies, Will was finishing his bachelor’s degree and capstone research project, which he completed in December. His research examined determinants of poverty in the United States, giving him an opportunity to engage in qualitative data analysis and report his findings to professors and peers.

In college, Will served as editor-in-chief at The Record, where he was recognized for his features news reporting among the best of Midwest weekly college newspapers by the Associated Collegiate Press. He developed a strong background in writing, reporting, and editorial direction, and developed a strong desire to explain complicated narratives as clearly as possible.

In 2021, he was a policy associate for Jubilee USA Network, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit. At Jubilee, he helped prepare social media and press materials, contributed to donor and member outreach, and helped coordinate events to further the organization’s goals of securing international debt relief for developing countries and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines and aid worldwide.

“I enjoy finding new ways to solve problems, stretch my skillset in different directions and clearly communicate complex and nuanced issues. I look forward to growing more in all of these areas in my new role.”

What motivated you to pursue a career in strategic communications?

I love a well-told story with a message, and that’s how I view strategic communications. Working in strategic communications allows me to combine skills obtained in my background as a journalist and economics student to tell nuanced stories clearly in the pursuit of quality results.

What are you most looking forward to at Rapp Strategies?

I’m looking forward to working with and learning from a great team, stretching my skillset in new directions, and getting more engaged with the Minnesota public affairs world.

What has been your favorite professional experience?

My time as editor of The Record has been my favorite experience so far. It gave me the opportunity to engage with my community in a new way as I kept tabs on local happenings, engaged in public debate and discourse, and led a team to create a paper we were all proud of each week.

When you’re not working, what can you be found doing? What are your favorite hobbies?

Outside the office, I like reading, visiting museums, and working on my photography skills.

What is one thing about you few people know?

Reporting I did for my college newspaper was cited by the Associated Press.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

One of my favorite professors advised me to dabble in English or communications courses. She would say that it doesn’t matter if you have the best data analysis in the world if you can’t clearly explain to someone else what it means and why it matters.

Who is your biggest role model/mentor?

My late grandmother, who was raised by a small-town newspaper editor during the Great Depression, lived a life full of hard work and resilience, and wrote everything in beautiful cursive on yellow legal pads.

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet?

Bob Woodward, one of the greatest journalists to ever write.

What is the best place you’ve traveled to and why?

Washington, D.C. The District is incredibly vibrant and fascinating. It has countless museums, restaurants, and neighborhoods to explore. The feeling of turning a corner and unexpectedly seeing the Washington Monument or U.S. Capitol never gets old.