Emily Hernandez Selected as March Student Worker of the Month

Written by: Caleb Sanderson

Emily began her College Relations & Marketing student worker position in January of 2022 and her Residence Assistant (RA) position in August of 2022. Both positions have challenged her for the better, such as highlighting a leadership quality she was unaware of as an RA and engaging in the creative and analytical sides of marketing.“Butler has shown me some skills that I wasn’t aware I had,” Emily enthused. “Before coming to Butler, I wasn’t really sure what my plan was, just that my mom wanted me to save money by attending a community college. But now looking back at the last three school years, I’m a whole new person.”
Her Marketing position has introduced her to industry norms of social media and marketing, such as tracking engagement, overseeing video and photo content, creating and editing graphics and more. “It has built up my creative circle [and] taken me out of the box so I can bring more to the table when applying to my next job, as I would like to continue in the field,” Emily said with a smile. She has also switched her degree goals from music to social media and marketing.

Emily regularly meets with Social Media Manager, Elizabeth Cody, to form content ideas and strategize the creation of posts on the college’s social media pages. Along with attending college events, Emily travels to various on-campus locations to engage with students for social media content.

“I think it’s awesome how Emily is making the most out of her time here at Butler,” Cody said. “She’s involved in so many different ways, and it will really benefit her to have the experience she has in the real world. She’s always willing to help us out by taking photos at SGA events and using her creativity to give us ways to show more students on our pages.”

As an RA, Emily is tasked with contributing to a welcoming environment and ensuring the safety of each resident. She is “on call” at times, meaning a resident can contact her for a simple necessity after hours or for emergencies. She also periodically monitors the halls through the night for this shift.

“Emily has been my RA for two years,” Melanie McLemore, Director of Residence Life, said. “In my time working with Emily, she has always shown up in spaces with a smile on her face ready to work and be helpful in any way she is needed. She has helped with jumpstarting our social media, builds great relationships with fellow students, and cares deeply about our students' experience at Butler. I am so proud of the growth I have seen in her as a student leader and have no doubt that she will be successful in whatever she chooses to do after her time at Butler.”

Emily also participates in one-on-one Grizzly Chats with each resident, puts up event fliers and conducts health and safety inspections. “Being an RA can be very overwhelming. You have to be up to date on your communication, leadership, coordinating and teamworking skills. Having a leadership [quality] like this can really make you stand out on a résumé,” Emily said.

Along with her two on-campus jobs, Emily is the Student Government Association (SGA) President and is a member of the Hispanic American Leadership Organization, Leadership Circle and vocal music. She does her best to be involved and step out of her comfort zone, making the most of her time as a Grizzly.

“Being the president of [SGA] and being involved in so much, I don’t think I would have thrived if I went to a four-year straight out of high school,” Emily declared. “It being a smaller community here at Butler, it was easy to find my place and where I shined the best. Now I have a plan for my career thanks to my student worker experience and know that I am capable of anything I set myself up to.”

Outside of Butler, Emily enjoys singing and making music, photography, journaling and amateur astronomy. She plans to take a gap year before continuing her education at Friends University or Wichita State University as a social media marketing and/or management major.

Click here to nominate a student worker and view previous student worker features.