When Erin Smith took a media culture and society class from assistant professor Shane Toepfer, she found her calling as well as a major: media studies.
"When Toepfer presented those ideas to me, I was like 'OK. Hallelujah!'" Smith said. "I had been wandering around for a long time and I had not figured out what I wanted to do. Finally, it clicked that the things I loved as escapism could be my profession."
The Cochran, Georgia, native used that passion as well as her skills to manage social media for the undergraduate admissions office on the Oconee Campus.
Smith posted information geared for potential students or incoming freshmen. And nothing gave her more pleasure than that.
"I loved showing off UNG," she said, explaining once she stepped onto the Oconee Campus she felt welcomed. "The community on campus made me fall in love with UNG. If I could summarize UNG with any word, it would be community. People are welcoming you as a friend, and into groups and projects and academic conversations."
She hoped to do the same at the Gainesville Campus, where she completed her bachelor's degree in December 2017. She worked for its undergraduate admissions office as well.
Smith's skills are not limited to admissions. She used her prowess with the Rotaract Club, which is Oconee Campus' version of the Rotary Club. Smith was a founding member.
"We had a canned food drive when I was in charge of their social media," she said. "It was a huge success. I designed the poster hung throughout UNG. I sort of expected we'd have 30 to 40 cans. We had 10 boxes on campus. Every two days, they'd fill up. I had cynical expectation that was subverted."
Her success with the student group and admissions office has given her the confidence to look to the future.
"I like to tell my mom that I'm going to throw it all against the wall and see what sticks," Smith said.
That includes applying to grad school, finding a social media job in Atlanta or Athens, or searching for professional internship programs.
"I've always said the ultimate goal is to run social media for Walt Disney World," she said. "But Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta has a professional internship.
"A lot of it is a dream," she continued. "And why not? You never know if you never try?"
She credits UNG and Toepfer for helping her find her passion.
"It is like the Dirty Heads song 'Vacation' says 'I'm on vacation every day 'cause I love my occupation,'" she said.
