Meet Alejandra Espinoza | Social media manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alejandra Espinoza and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alejandra, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I am a first-generation American and first-generation college graduate. Being the first in my family to attend and graduate from a university had a huge impact on who I am today. I felt like making my family proud did come with a lot of pressure. I’ve always wanted to ensure that I didn’t waste the opportunity my family didn’t have- I needed to make the most of it.

However, I have an extremely supportive and loving family that motivated me in all my endeavors. Ultimately, my family gave me the confidence I needed to succeed.

Additionally, I grew up in a low-income area from kindergarten throughout high school. This meant I watched many of my peers struggle, and sometimes life wasn’t so kind to them. As I enter the workforce, I hope I can make a positive impact on those who may not always have the resources they need; much like the kids I grew up with.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I was able to explore art while I was enrolled in competitive dance as a child. Eventually, I became involved in many clubs and organizations in high school and I found myself really enjoying running the social media accounts for all of the clubs I was in and making flyers. This experience allowed me to land a job as a student employee at NAU ITS as a social media coordinator. This job has given me tons of experience in managing social media, crisis management, graphic design, photography, and video experience. At NAU ITS I have met so many other creatives that I have had the honor of learning from.

The work never felt too challenging even though it did not come naturally to me because I enjoyed learning so much. I’ve always felt like I’ve based a big part of my identity on being a student which helped me tackle new learning objectives in the workforce. However, the biggest challenge came after I graduated, for the same reason that I placed my entire identity on being a student.

I always thought that growing pains ended when I was a child but I am learning now that there’s the growing pains when becoming an adult. I am still trying to figure out what I actually want to do for a career and where I want to go in life. To help ground myself I try to remind myself of my love for creativity and my passion for people. I think the combination of the two will guide me where I need to be.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love being in Flagstaff so much so there are many places we’d go!

For breakfast I would for sure take them to The Toasted Owl followed by a stroll of downtown.

Snowbowl would be one of my favorite places to visit with different activates depending on the season.
-I would take them to Snowbowl in the summer time to enjoy the sunset gondola.
-If it’s fall I would go to Snowbowl for a hike through the aspens since the leaves are golden.
-If it’s winter I would take them snowboarding.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who deserve so much credit that have inspired and helped me be where I am today.

I am an only child, therefore I’ve always craved being around people and seeking mentorship from what I assume some may get from older siblings.

I was very timid growing up until my parents enrolled me in dance classes which forced me to get out of my shell and I learned to appreciate fine arts. I used to speak in whispers and now my friends are lucky if I let them let a word in. My dance teacher really pushed me and helped me grow from a young, shy, child, to an outspoken and confident adult.

With the mentorship of my dance teacher (Bradly Tipton) he taught me how to be a self advocate which has opened so many doors for me along the way. Having the confidence to talk to others I learned that I loved hearing people’s stories and being able to share them on social media.

I just recently graduated college and I had many mentors such as my amazing coworkers and peers that have been an amazing support system.

Website: https://ae795.myportfolio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iam_aleee/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandra-espinoza-b05415193/