On March 18, the Sonoma State Career Center put on one of many Alumni Takeover events that will take place on their Instagram page. This event is aimed toward students and prospective students to give them a glimpse of what graduates’ lives are like after their time at SSU. Each takeover consists of a Sonoma State Alumni using Instagram stories to take a look at their daily lives.

For those interested, the Sonoma State website states for students to: “Tune in on the SSU Career Center’s Instagram Story for an Alumni Takeover! Follow along for a day in the life of a forever Seawolf and learn more about their job, how they have navigated life after graduation, and tune in for a special live Q&A session with the alumni.

In this week’s Alumni Takeover, the former student was Michelle Welling. Welling was a part of the graduating class of 2015 with a Communications and Media Studies degree, along with a Geography minor. After graduating, Michelle went back to school to get her masters in Marketing and currently lives in London, England where she works for a company called The Sports Edit.

For those that aren’t familiar with The Sports Edit, their website gives a brief explanation of what it is they do, stating that they “sell high-quality brands and products, produce content and host events, all centered around helping you to get out there, get sweaty and master your chosen activity.”

At this company, Welling is the marketing and PR executive. During the takeover, Welling said her daily tasks include checking the company’s social media platforms, checking press mentions, and even managing influencer and ambassador relationships. She also said that before the pandemic, she would help manage various community events with top brands.

Welling detailed her experiences at Sonoma State and how they helped her in her professional life. One thing that she mentioned was her time studying abroad, and how she was able to travel all across Europe during her time studying. She was able to make many connections which ultimately helped her get her current job and adjust to living in England.

The Career Center teams up with Seawolf living to put on these Alumni Takeover events, which will be happening numerous times throughout the year. Aubrie Russo, the Marketing and Communications Specialist at Sonoma State, was able to give some insight as to why these events are so important for students. “The goal of the Alumni Takeover campaign is to give current Seawolves an opportunity to hear from past SSU students and their experiences in their current role and ultimately their life post graduation,” she says. “It also provides current students with authentic advice from alumni who were once in their same shoes.”

Even before the pandemic hit, the alumni takeover events took place on instagram as a way for students to see what the day-to-day was like for the graduates. “The Takeovers are primarily conducted on Instagram Story. This gives the Alumni the chance to post their daily activities in real-time,” Russo said about the use of instagram. “The Q&A portion of every Takeover is on Instagram Live, this provides that “in-person” feeling and allows for great dialogue.”

These Alumni Takeover events provide so much valuable information to Sonoma State students. The Career Center makes the events accessible to all and tries to choose alumni that can give helpful tips to students. “The SSU Career Center works to support and empower students to be active participants in their career development process. Our Career Advisors provide comprehensive resources and advising that are holistically centered in each student’s needs.”

To find this takeover and many more coming in the near future, head over to the Career Center instagram page @ssucareercenter, as well as the Seawolf Living page @seawolfliving where the Q&A portion happens.