Marcia Alejandra VillavicencioMarcia Alejandra Villavicencio is currently pursuing a degree in journalism (with an emphasis in media studies), and decided that also earning a certificate in digital and social media would “open more doors to find a job once I graduate.”

A member of two student organizations on campus, Villavicencio manages both of the organizations’ Facebook and Twitter sites. She says, “taking the digital media classes has definitely helped me improve in how I manage the social media sites, and has also helped me to become a more successful social networking chair.”

Admitting that she only knew the basics, Villavicencio became more familiarized with the business side of social and digital media in her classes. She learned how to market herself better, the importance of updating the sites, and how to get people engaged on the sites.

Learning how to blog and how to shoot and edit video for the Web was a bonus for Villavicencio. “I’m now very active on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. What I like about them is that it’s easy to communicate with people. It’s also helpful in promoting events or getting people interested in a project. They are great tools to get you noticed if used properly,” she adds.

Villavicencio also says that her favorite program aspect is that it’s hands on. “Everything we learn we apply right away. I think this helps a lot in learning about digital media and learning to use it properly. If questions arise, you have the instructor right there to help you along the way.”