So, you grew up in New Jersey and stayed home to attend school at Princeton. How did those experiences shape your career and inspire you to join Teach for America after graduation?
My family inspired me. My whole family immigrated to the US from Cuba. They had no money and no network, but their core belief was that education is a great equalizer. My mom came to the US at the age of 15 and ultimately put herself through medical school, which afforded her children a much easier life than she had.
I grew up believing that an excellent education is your ticket to success, and it broke my heart to see that so many kids in our country are not afforded that opportunity. Teach For America gave me the ability to, in some small way, try to give the kids I taught the opportunity to see new possibilities for themselves.
As a social marketing company, we have to ask. What do you personally love about social media?
It’s funny because I have always felt like an early adopter of social media. Back in the days of dial-up internet, I was on AOL instant messenger, Myspace, and even had a Facebook account back when it was exclusive to colleges and the URL was “THE Facebook.”
What I really love about social media is the ability to connect and expand your horizons. In recent years, Instagram has grown from a space for connection to a place where brands and creators can also educate and inspire. I love when I can learn something on social media in 30 seconds or less. You can speed through a video or tutorial and gain a unique educational experience.
Although I would not consider myself a good cook, watching speedy start-to-finish cooking videos is one of my favorite things. When done right, I think the content you put out in the world can be extremely valuable to people.
Do you have any predictions for upcoming social media industry trends?
What I think is coming in the next year or two actually stems from some of the negatives we’ve seen emerge from social media recently. Like doom scrolling or overconsumption. People aren’t willing to look at things that aren’t adding value to them anymore. You get to opt into what you see, especially on Instagram when you choose who you follow.
Social media is returning to its roots, as an avenue for individuals to connect and learn. With so many platforms and accounts to choose from, consumers can be picky about the feed they curate. The only way to win people’s attention is to give them a positive educational or inspirational experience.
