More about little ol’ me

College-Bound in 2012

As a first-generation (ish) college student, this one’s a proud little boast. Both parents did non-traditional studies later in their life, but neither got a traditional college experience or degree. I’ve always been a big ol’ nerd who liked school, so I always knew I’d go. Through a series of decisions, I ended up at UL Lafayette studying Advertising.

Ready for a W-2

First-gen college student - definitely needed a job to help get through school. So, my first job was on campus with Rec Sports (the gym) as more or less a door attendant (you needed a campus ID to get in). I wiggled my way onto their student-led marketing team less than a year after I started. There, I managed their social media and worked with the graphic designers on graphic assets.

Double-Booked & Hustlin’

In order to graduate from my program, an internship was required. So, along with my full-time studies and part-time campus job, I also started as a part-time social media intern at a local advertising agency. All that added up to being on the clock 45 hours a week (not including homework or studying) and I never even realized how much that was until I just did the math now.

At my internship, I was fortunate enough to take lead on multiple projects including:

• social media content for two local campaigns through the city that helped to support local businesses

• an email campaign for a local salon

Class of 2015

Upon graduating, I made the very interesting decision of declining a job offer from my internship host. I also lost my on campus job on account of not being a student anymore. So, it was time to make some more decisions and if you’re paying attention, you’d notice I had made a fairly… stupid interesting one to start off… But I can look back and be fine with that since I’m in such a good place now - just not without a facepalm.

Onto bigger and bulkier better things

After a semester off looking for opportunities in my area and working at Costco to finance my lifestyle, I finally had the sense to make a good decision and go back to school. Not that Costco isn’t great…

So, I go back to the only home I know - UL Lafayette - and I start working toward two more degrees to beef up my current degree in advertising: creative writing and graphic design. Because I'm indecisive and can’t figure out which direction I want to go, I figure a jack of all trades is better than an ace of only one.

Until the funding runs out…

Grad School

My artist soul was fully immersed in the college artist culture and feeling super fulfilled. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Grad School was the only path offering me an opportunity through their graduate assistantship program that helped pay tuition for graduate programs. So, I made a pivot and switched from undergraduate English and art to the MBA program (something I am eternally grateful for every day I daydream about opening my own business and now knowing it’s actually feasible).

MBA Graduate circa 2019

Graduating in December of 2019, I was totally unaware of the countdown to the March 2020 disaster that I now had on me to find a job. I did know that it didn’t go so well last time this happened. Since I had to hold a part-time student job along with full-time status in order to secure my graduate assistantship funding, again, I lost my job at graduation. Deja-vu.

Always my Saving Grace

It wasn’t until March of 2020 - the impending lockdown upon us - that I secured a job… Well, two part-time jobs, one of which I had to abandon due to the lockdown. And where was this perfectly timed job that saved my butt from who knows what?

UL Lafayette.

The mothership. So began my part-time job in web content writing.

Pandemic, Politics, and Pacing

And that’s how I stayed for two years. At least I had some income during the pandemic when hiring basically froze. When opportunities started popping their heads back out, I kept my eye out, but thankfully one of those opportunities was on my own team as a full-time digital content strategist. A year later, another opportunity - again on my own team - popped up and I became Assistant Director of Digital Content Strategy.