May 6, 2022

Social Media Coordinator Marie Fisher Reflects on First Year at Manchester

Grace Denison

Marie Fisher is Manchester’s social media coordinator who takes care of all coverage on campus.

She is from Fort Wayne and graduated from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. “As a Mexican American who grew up in rural Indiana, I wanted to attend college in the heart of downtown Indy, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis,” she said. “I enjoyed the urban life and being able to walk downtown from our residence hall!”

Although she started her college journey as an exercise science major, she graduated in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and minored in English and communication studies. “I found more interest in my writing courses than my science lectures,” she said. “My English professor asked if I was majoring in anything writing-related. When I told her I was not, she said, ‘I definitely see you using your writing skills in your future,’ and her words convinced me to switch my major and have stuck with me since!”

She’s pleased with the options a degree in journalism has provided. “I knew I wanted my writing skills to be my focus in my career, but I also wanted to use it in a creative way,” she said. “I found my niche in social media marketing in the higher education industry. I have a passion for telling people’s stories and that’s one of the many things I get to do at Manchester.”

Fisher has been with Manchester University since 2021. “I had been job searching since I graduated college in 2020. I was looking mostly in the Indianapolis area so I could stay there,” she said. “I started broadening my job location and had come down to three job opportunities, Manchester University being one of them.

“What made Manchester stand out from the other organizations I applied for,” she continued, “is that I was able to meet several staff members I’d be working close with and received a tour of the University. It felt more personal than the other interviews I had. I knew Manchester was where I wanted to start my career.”

Fisher has a background in all social media platforms. “All the ones you can think of, I understand the analytical and creative sides to see what content is and is not working,” she said. “I have worked with different social media management software such as Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and Later. They help me schedule social posts in advance and track analytics of our social posts.

“I do a little graphic design with Photoshop and Canva to edit photos and create designs,” she continued. “I also use a user-generated content software to display social media content where other people are talking about Manchester to share on our website. I also do a little bit of web development to update our social media page on Manchester.edu.

Her job consists of posting on these social media platforms to gain popularity and show important facts about and events for Manchester University. The end of spring semester starts to pick up with May Day, finals week and Commencement,” Fisher said. “There will be a lot of content to capture and events to attend. It is always a great way to end the academic year. We also have our Black & Gold Day in June which will be a lot of energy and fun!”

Her favorite events on campus include Manny the Spartan. Fisher reveals, “Any time I get to work with our mascot Manny, it is always a wonderful time,” she said. “Also being able to connect with students and hearing why they chose to attend Manchester University. Homecoming was one of my favorite events to capture social media content. I was able to meet with current students and alumni and catch conversations with them and great photos!”

Outside of work and academia, Fisher enjoys attending concerts and music festivals, hiking with her dog and friends, and traveling to new places to taste, as she puts it, “some amazing food!”

Fisher always needs students to send her content. “Visit our Social Media Hub Page to either to submit content for us to share, or if you want to share your My Manchester Story,” she said. “Or send an email to me at socialmedia@manchester.edu for any questions to get involved. Never hesitate to reach out or if you see me on campus making a TikTok, I would be happy for anyone to join me.”