By Caroline Barnhill
After graduating from NC State with a degree in communications and a concentration in mass media, Kara Rodriguez headed east – where she got a job at a local television news station as a multimedia journalist reporter. While there, she was responsible for covering everything from breaking news, crime, politics and education. “I learned how to shoot and edit my own video, as well as run my own professional social media accounts. I was what you call a ‘one-man band’ reporter,” Rodriguez says.
However, when the opportunity presented itself in early 2020 to return to the Pack, she took it – accepting a position with Poole College as a social media strategist. In her role, Rodriguez is responsible for running all of the college’s enterprise social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Q&A with Kara Rodriguez
What is a project in your current role that you are particularly proud of?
A project in my current role with Poole that I am the proudest of would probably be our overall follower growth across our social media platforms. We have seen a growth of nearly 5,000 new followers in two and a half years. I am also extremely proud of the growth we have been seeing on our Instagram account, which highlights our talented students, unique signature events and the college’s #PoolePack spirit. Now, we are seeing so much engagement on the platform through Instagram Stories and Reels. One of our most recent Reels received more than 10,000 views.
What’s the most memorable Poole College event you have attended?
The most memorable Poole event that I have attended would be this year’s Packapalooza, for sure. I was excited to coordinate the college’s marketing table this year! We passed out hundreds of swag items to students at the event. At one point, my colleague Carson Shanahan had to run back into Nelson Hall to get more swag for the table! We generated 430 new followers across our social media platforms that day. I was blown away and so excited!
Why do you love being a part of Poole?
I love working at Poole because of the people! Coming from the cut-throat industry of TV news, working for Poole has been such a breath of fresh air! Everyone is so kind, helpful and welcoming! The first half of my time here was during the heat of the pandemic and, despite meeting everyone for the first time through Zoom, I instantly knew this was the place for me.
Tell us more about your life outside of Poole College.
Outside of Poole, I am a newlywed. My husband Jonathan and I got married literally two days before North Carolina shut down in March 2020. We got our wedding in just in time! We absolutely love traveling. We honeymooned in Greece and have also visited Spain, France and the U.S. Virgin Islands since we got married! My first time on a commercial flight was also in 2020. We have plans to go to London and Norway this winter. We also enjoy volunteering at our church, renovating our house and spending time with our nephews and niece!
My Poole colleagues might not know…
Something interesting that most of my colleagues don’t know about me is that I love interior design and home decorating! I love decorating my home for the seasons. My favorite season to decorate for is Christmas, which coincides with my birthday on December 24.
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