University of Florida's Reitz Union
Marketing + Communications + Design
Overview
Since joining the Reitz Union, I’ve led a full revitalization of the Union’s marketing strategy—building the department from the ground up after a gap in dedicated marketing leadership. My work has focused on increasing student engagement, strengthening building presence, and implementing digital tools to modernize communication across departments. Through data-driven strategy, cross-departmental collaboration, and Gen Z-centered content, I’ve helped reposition the Reitz Union as a vibrant hub for student life at UF.
Key Responsibilities:
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Strategic Marketing & Brand Development.
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Social Media Growth & Viral Content
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Print Production
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Photography + Videography
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Digital & Interactive Innovation (Wayfinding)
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Website Management
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Creative Campaign Execution
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Leadership & Collaboration
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Campus Collaboration & Partnership Growth
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Recognition & Professional Visibility
Social Media Management
To reach Gen Z, I focused on Instagram over platforms like Facebook. In my first year managing the Reitz Union's social media, I grew our following from under 5.5K to over 8.2K and boosted Instagram reach by 7,500% from the previous year—all organically. I strategically collaborated with student assistants, using trending audio, reels, and Gen Z-friendly captions to create resonant content, including a viral video with 1.3M+ views, 25K+ likes, and 5.3K+ shares.
Photography
My photography has elevated the Reitz Union and UF brand through high-quality visuals that reflect the energy and impact of our programs. These images go beyond social media, appearing in strategic plans, budget proposals, and event materials to convey professionalism and strengthen stakeholder engagement. I also mentored student photographers, helping them refine their skills—several of the featured photos were taken by them under my guidance.
Marketing Campaign Execution
Creative Classes
Creative Classes is a Reitz Union initiative that offers fun non-credit courses to anyone who'd like to attend. It's a great revenue generator for our department and was brought back after it was unsuccessful in the past. The Creative Classes campaign I ran targeted Gainesville and the surrounding community, and generated an exceptional 9.51% link click-through rate — nearly 10 times the platform average. With a cost-per-click of just $0.06, the ad drove over 600 link clicks and resulted in all classes selling out in under 24 hours. Demand was so high that the registration site temporarily went down due to traffic overload.
To complement the digital campaign, a separate print flyer was designed specifically for UF students. These flyers featured a distinct message and graphic tailored to the student audience and were strategically placed at the Arts & Crafts Center front desk and other high-traffic student areas within the Reitz Union.
In addition to print and digital ads, digital signage throughout the Reitz Union was used to promote Creative Classes directly to students. These screens featured a simplified, visually engaging design with a prominent QR code, making it easy for students to access registration information on the spot.
Gator Market
Gator Market was a brand-new initiative with zero name recognition, and it was my role to develop and execute a marketing strategy and create branding and marketing materials to introduce it to both local vendors and the UF community. Through targeted social media advertising and content creation, the campaign achieved a 9.89% click-through rate — far exceeding industry benchmarks — and generated 198 link clicks at just $0.15 per click. The accompanying video ad received over 3,200 plays with a strong hold rate of 73.71%, indicating high interest and retention. The overwhelming response led to an influx of vendor applications that far exceeded expectations, nearly maxing out internal capacity and solidifying Gator Market’s debut as a campus success.
To maximize awareness for Gator Market beyond traditional channels, I took a creative approach to outreach by crafting and distributing a press release to UF at Work and UF News, which picked up the story and shared it across their expansive internal network of UF faculty, staff, and alumni. I also posted the event to the UF Events Calendar, ensuring additional visibility across campus platforms. These efforts were layered on top of building-wide digital signage, print flyers, social media content and targeted social media ads, creating a multi-pronged campaign that helped establish Gator Market as a well-known and well-attended event — despite being brand new.
To support vendor recruitment for Gator Market, I designed and printed flyers specifically aimed at local artisans, food vendors, and small businesses. These were hand-delivered and distributed at other local markets and community events to directly reach potential participants where they already engage.
In addition to marketing and outreach, I led the visual branding and on-site experience for Gator Market by designing custom-branded event materials including tents, staff t-shirts, and wayfinding signage to create a cohesive and professional look across the event space. I also coordinated the production of promotional giveaway items — including tote bags, mini basketball hoops, cups, stickers, and more — to attract and engage attendees. To drive digital engagement, we tied the giveaways to social media by requiring attendees to follow our Instagram page before receiving an item, which significantly boosted our online presence and gave the event both in-person and digital momentum.
Designing clear, on-brand directional yard signs was essential to help vendors navigate to the correct setup location, especially during early morning arrival times when clear direction matters most.
Clear, on-brand signage was also essential in this student-owned business identification sign, designed by student marketing assistant Lorena Bacallao. I stepped in to help refine the concept, encouraging her to think about how the sign needed to be understood within two seconds in a busy, visually crowded market. The final design successfully highlighted and supported student vendors, making it easy for attendees to identify and connect with student-owned businesses.
Print Productions
As part of a division-wide initiative, I supported the creation of the Reitz Union Strategic Plan, aligning our departmental goals with the broader UF Division of Student Life’s strategic direction. I contributed early on during our departmental retreat, helping to shape the ideas and priorities that would guide our next several years. My primary role, however, was to translate that strategy into a tangible, beautifully designed printed booklet — a piece that now sits on every team member’s desk as a constant reminder of our shared vision. The final product not only reflects our strategic intent but also reinforces the importance of design in turning ideas into action.
In collaboration with leadership, I designed the Reitz Union’s annual budget proposal, transforming a traditionally dense document into a visually compelling and accessible resource. With a strong focus on typographic hierarchy, layout, and visual clarity, I crafted a piece that communicated complex financial information in a clear and professional format. To further support stakeholder understanding, I also created custom infographics and visual data elements to highlight key performance metrics, making the content more engaging and easier to digest. This work played a vital role in presenting our accomplishments and resource needs to university stakeholders.
The Reitz Union Hotel at the University of Florida requested a set of custom-designed door hangers that would not only serve a functional purpose but also reflect UF pride, particularly during high-traffic times like football game weekends and Preview (UF's orientation program). My goal was to create something eye-catching and memorable — pieces that guests would love so much they might “accidentally take them home.” To that end, each hanger includes the hotel’s website and phone number, turning the design into a subtle guerrilla marketing tool — with the potential to live on as dorm décor, bedroom accents, or conversation starters long after a guest’s stay.
For the Reitz Union Hotel, I designed an updated in-room guest info stand that includes hotel notices on one side and a TV guide on the other. I recommended reorganizing the channel list alphabetically by name to improve usability, and suggested printing on synthetic, wipeable paper for durability and cleanliness. The final piece is more guest-friendly, on-brand, and better aligned with the overall UF experience.
To showcase our services, programs, and spaces in a clear, engaging format, I created a trifold Programs & Activities Guide for the Reitz Union, designed specifically for tabling and outreach events. Recognizing that brochures are often discarded or lost shortly after events, I also created wallet-sized business cards with QR codes linking to the digital version. This provided a practical solution — a compact takeaway that students are more likely to keep on hand, making it easy to reference later without the bulk of a brochure.
Wayfinding
I was tasked with developing a wayfinding solution for the Reitz Union—a long-standing challenge due to the building’s size and layout. After researching various options, I identified and implemented a free platform called Mappedin, which allowed us to create an interactive, user-friendly map without the need for costly hardware or custom development. This solution not only saved our department a significant amount of money, but it also improved navigation throughout key areas like the Welcome Center, UF Bookstore, and other high-traffic destinations. This project will greatly enhance the experience for guests unfamiliar with the building, making the Reitz Union more accessible and visitor-friendly.
Website Management
I use WordPress to manage and maintain the Reitz Union’s section of the University of Florida website, ensuring content stays accurate, up-to-date, and aligned with UF’s branding standards. In addition to regular updates, I’ve designed and launched new pages from the ground up, including the Gator Market website and the Creative Classes landing page—both featuring original branding, clear navigation, and student-focused content.