The Civil Service Council will feature a Civil Service employee at Illinois State University each month to highlight an exceptional colleague and the outstanding work being done on campus. This month, learn about and applaud senior social media coordinator, Julie Mana-ay Perez.

What is your position on campus, and how long have you been with the University?

I’m senior social media coordinator at University Marketing and Communications (UMC). I manage and create content for Illinois State University’s official social media channels, which I’ve been doing for about three years now. I love that I get to write news stories and create engaging videos and posts for social media for a living.

What do you find most rewarding about your work?

I love finding different ways to tell a story about something or someone. For as long as I could remember, I’ve always enjoyed taking photos of people and editing videos together, so to see my skills grow and create new connections with people while doing it is the most rewarding thing I could do with my life. When you find your purpose and get to make a living off it—that’s what keeps me going. I also get to work with a talented group of creators at UMC, including our student interns—they keep me grounded and aware of cool trends on social media.

What are your hobbies or favorite pastimes?

I’m obsessed with movies. I created a Letterboxd account last year, and it’s probably the most visited app on my phone. I’ve already seen 24 films in June. When I’m not watching movies, I’m doing a one-time craft idea, going on a walk on Constitution Trail, taking a yoga class at the YMCA, or going to Coffee Hound for my iced vanilla latte (iykyk).

What else would you like others to know about you or your time at ISU?

I’ve learned so much about myself, gained so many friends, and excelled my professional craft because of the people at UMC—they encourage me, move me, and see me. I moved here from California three years ago and felt incredibly scared to move to an unfamiliar place. The people at ISU are some of the kindest folks I’ve ever met. Shoutout to my team Elena Roth and Kevin Bersett!

More about Perez from Kevin Bersett, associate director for strategic communications

Julie is a rock star! I feel privileged to work with her. She is incredibly creative, and as our senior social media coordinator, she has elevated our flagship Instagram channel to one of the best among higher ed institutions in the nation. She is a great caption writer, videographer, graphic designer, and all-around social media wiz. Every day, Julie brings it. She is a hard worker who goes the extra mile. She has a generous spirit and always finds time for clients and colleagues who need her help or advice. One of the traits I like best about Julie is her drive to continually improve. She is constantly looking for new training opportunities and checking out the work of other creatives to learn how she can make our flagship channels better and grow our audiences. Our interns have benefited from her mentorship and the example she sets every day. I’m lucky to work with her.