Happy Monday! This week, I’m excited to introduce you to Cristina Lopez Yakimenko, director of marketing and analytics at Florida International University (FIU). Prior to her current role, she spent nearly five years as the associate director of marketing and analytics at the FIU Chapman Graduate School of Business.
Q: What’s the most unexpected place you’ve found a great story on campus?
Most of the great stories I’ve shared with future students didn’t come from a formal source. They came from simply showing up and connecting directly with students in informal settings: company visits, guest speaker classes, orientations, conferences, and even graduation celebrations.
When you get curious and engage with current students and alumni, the stories surface naturally — classmates who meet during their master’s program and later get married, founders launching startups, and individuals overcoming personal challenges while staying committed to earning their graduate degree at FIU.
The takeaway is simple.
Don’t wait behind your desk for someone to point you to a story (although those are always welcome). Go meet your audience. Understand their journey, pains, dreams, and fears.
That’s where the most meaningful stories live.
What I love about this answer:
Between meetings and work responsibilities, it would be easy to spend the whole day sitting at your desk, staring at your computer screen. Not only is that bad for your eyes (and your hips/core … make sure to get up and stretch!!), but it makes you miss what’s going on around you.
When I worked at Northwestern University (first at the Medill School of Journalism and later at the Kellogg School of Management), I made it a point to try and attend at least one school event a week. It didn’t matter if it was a pizza lunch with a guest speaker or a student presentation. The point was to get out and see/hear what was going on. In doing so, I met so many students, faculty, and alumni. I got to know them and hear their stories — why they came to the school, what they’re learning, what they hoped to accomplish.
Some of those stories turned into content for the school, others became the foundation of decades-long friendships.
The key was showing up.
What about you? Where do you go to find stories on campus?
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PLUS … whenever you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you bring storytelling to life in your own work:
- Download my free higher ed guides
– 5 formats to make your alumni stories stand out
– 9 clever ways to create fresh content from your events
- Work with me on a writing project
I’ve supported schools across the country with website overhauls, prospect communications, and advancement content. Email me with “Storytelling” in the subject line to learn more.
- Collaborate on a custom content strategy project
I’ve developed custom strategies for programs specializing in everything from AI and biotech to informatics and journalism that maximize their content potential. Respond with “Content Strategy” in the subject line and I’ll get back to you with more details.
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