The Creative Maven Who Reads Your Angry Facebook Rant
The ghost in the machine is not a ghost, but a real, live human. If you have posted on our Facebook page, tweeted at us, or commented on one of our Instagram photos, you were actually connecting with Megan Cacioppo, who oversees the college’s advertising, marketing, and graphic design. In an office decorated with typeface posters, Cacioppo reflected on what makes her position challenging.
“I wear many hats and I’m expected to take on a lot of different jobs,” she said. Besides overseeing all of our social media accounts, she is also behind sending the emails that keep us informed about HCC goings-on and she has created several posters around campus for events and programs.
Photo Courtesy of Megan Cacioppo
“Staying relevant with current trends in social media is also challenging, because what students are using changes often,” Cacioppo said.
Cacioppo grew up in Derby and attended Syracuse University, where she earned her bachelor’s in advertising design. After graduation, she worked in Manhattan for a small creative agency.
“My job was similar to what I do here – a lot of design work, advertising, and social media,” she said. “I got to work for a lot of cool brands, like AOL and Yahoo.”
But Cacioppo does not leave her creative sense at the office. She brings her knack for artful design to one of her favorite hobbies.
“I like antique shopping for old furniture, and upcycling what I find for personal use,” she shared.
Cacioppo is kind and soft-spoken; she understands that Facebook, Twitter, and the like are often the easiest venting places, and accepts them as such. “I always try to respond as sensitively and quickly as possible,” she said.
Her advice for students is in line with what one typically hears as summer fades away and homework piles up – to start off on the right foot and stay focused. Notably, though, and perhaps in contrast to what your professor says right before beginning lecture, she stressed the importance of staying connected on social media and checking HCC’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Cacioppo’s job is demanding, and it’s easy to wonder where she derives the energy necessary to fuel a hard work ethic. Her answer has all the warmth yet none of the cheesiness of a Hallmark Card:“Our students. Graduation and hearing student success stories keeps me motivated.”