#ProfilesOfTenacity: Nicole García Sánchez

What is your most memorable Grady experience?

Before I got into Grady, I was planning an event called Orgullo Hispano for HSA. I had a very specific vision of what I wanted for it and I knew I wanted the location to be in Grady. When I asked Parker Middleton to help me with the event and allow me to do it in Grady, she went above and beyond. The event was a success and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the college. Even before I was a Grady student, they were extremely supportive and helping me make one of my goals possible. 

What is an example of a time you used your studies and skills in a real-world experience? 

It has been interesting having an internship at the same time I have classes. I use most of the skills I have learned in class. This summer, my boss asked me to do a media list and I was like, “Perfect, I can do this. I literally learned how to do it a month ago.” 

What is your favorite app or social media channel and why? 

I’m between Instagram and TikTok. I think Instagram is what you make out of it, so I follow a lot of accounts that either fulfill me or bring me joy, and TikTok is hilarious and keeps me entertained. When I first started at my internship I was doing content for TikTok, so it holds a special place in my heart. 

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received from an instructor, mentor or family member? 

When I took Career Explorations with Dean Davis and Parker Middleton, I remember they encouraged us to get as much experience in the real world as we can while we are in college. So for a few months of my freshman year, I started looking for an internship, and I got one for that summer. As I am an international student, I have to get permission to have an internship, and Immigration Services told me I couldn’t do an internship because I was not a Grady student yet. I got mad and told them “students are supposed to get internships to be competitive” and they told me that didn’t apply for me. So instead of dwelling on that, I decided to get as involved on campus as I could, because that does count as real-world experience. Even though my situation might be different than other students, I am thankful for that advice because it pushed me to do the best I could with the circumstances I was in. 

What does the word “tenacity” mean to you?

I think tenacity is knowing what you want and having a plan on how to get there. 

What or who has had the biggest impact on your life during your time at UGA?

My friends and the Hispanic Student Association. My friends became my home away from home, and I couldn’t have survived all these years without them. And the community in HSA has made my college experience the best it could be. 

Where is your favorite place on campus and why?

Lake Herrick. It is super relaxing and I like to go watch the sunset there. 

Who is your professional hero?

My dad – he worked really hard to get to where he is today. 

What has been your proudest moment in the past year?

Getting my internship. I really wanted to work for this company because I really believe in what they do; I even wrote it in the things I wanted for my new year, and it happened! 

Grady InternViews: Drew Hubbard

This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their summer internship experience.A graphic saying Hubbard is a journalism major working as a Digital and Social Media Intern for Nashville Soccer Club out of Nashville, TN

Briefly describe your internship and responsibilities.

I am a digital and social media intern at Nashville Soccer Club this summer. In the internship, I help assist the digital marketing team to help brainstorm social media ideas and execute them on different platforms. I mainly focus on the club’s Facebook account and working on TikTok ideas but also engage with fans on Instagram when they tag the team in Instagram posts or stories. 

The internship is in-person based out of the club’s office in Nashville, but I work remotely as well. Some of the club’s interns will report to the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays while myself and other interns report Mondays and Wednesdays while the entire office is remote on Fridays. For all home games, the interns are at the club’s current stadium, Nissan Stadium, while we work from home when the team plays away. 

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?

The biggest challenge has been trying to find a unique voice for the team on social media. Because there are so many sports teams in the country, it is important that our club is different and creative to bring fans into our social channels and get engagement across all different platforms. The challenge is finding inspiration from other teams in different leagues, but also having our own voice and content that sets us apart.

Hubbard typing on his laptop from a box overlooking the soccer stadium
Drew focuses on the soccer team’s digital and social media. (Photo: submitted)
What is the most memorable experience you have had during your internship?

The most memorable experience I have had was working at the Mexico-Panama international friendly at Nissan Stadium. Both teams played in Nashville to prepare for their competitive tournaments later in the summer. I was lucky enough to experience an international match and how different it is than a regular Major League Soccer match. There were a lot of Mexican and Panamanian media members I got to work with and learn from while also experiencing an incredible atmosphere for the match. 

What is your advice for other students looking to take on a similar role?

I would say network as much as possible and always be looking to learn new skills or improve the skills you already have. Social media is an evolving field with new things happening all the time. So, being able to learn new platforms and learning how to handle the digital side of things like a website is really important and will set you apart from a lot of other candidates. 

What lessons will you take back with you to Athens in the fall?
Hubbard holding a soccer ball and wearing a Soccer Club scarf in the stadium
Drew has the opportunity to work in person this summer in Nashville. (Photo: submitted)

Going back to Athens, I’ll know better how to work with other people on projects and combine my ideas with their ideas to do our best possible work together. Grady classes are a lot of collaborative work, and I’ll be able to work and communicate with others better because of this experience.

Dean Davis takes over Grady College’s social media accounts

Dean Charles Davis recently took over Grady College’s main social accounts (Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook), sharing everything from photos of his dogs to images from around the building and tips for student success. The takeovers were part of the #FindDeanDavis campaign aimed at welcoming students to a new academic year and familiarizing them with the college’s social media platforms. Here are some of the highlights:

Joe Phua featured in UGA Focus on Faculty

Joe Phua, assistant professor of advertising, helps students apply classroom concepts through hands-on experiences, such as designing digital advertising campaigns for local small businesses.

“My department (Advertising and Public Relations) is one of the top-ranked programs in the country, so I am really glad to be here,” Phua wrote in his UGA faculty profile. “I am very lucky to be able to work with some of the most prolific, well-known advertising and PR scholars in the field and call them my colleagues.”

Among other courses, Phua teaches digital and social media advertising strategies. “Every semester, students apply concepts from the class as they work in small groups to design a digital advertising campaign for a local small business,” he explained. “I think this gives them a real-world perspective on how advertising campaigns work, including interacting with a client, assessing their needs and suggesting feasible digital advertising ideas based on the client’s budget and concerns.

“In the classes, we also examine and discuss the latest digital technologies used for advertising, including mobile apps, virtual reality games, social media, viral videos, native advertising and more,” Phua continued. “Digital technologies keep evolving, so I have students keep up-to-date with the latest digital advertising news through hashtags and articles I curate on Twitter. We discuss the latest news during class and brainstorm ideas about how to incorporate these technologies in real-world, feasible advertising and marketing campaigns.”

Read more about Phua at www.uga.edu/faculty/profile/phua-joe/.