“SHUfluencers is an organization to bring together students who are passionate about digital storytelling, content creation, and social media influencer marketing,” said junior Amanda Federico, president of the newly established SHUfluencers club.
The club is open to any Sacred Heart student. It doesn’t matter if they’re just starting out or already involved with content creation. Students in SHUfluencers will gain hands-on experience creating real content, collaboration opportunities, and portfolio building.
“A big part of bringing these ideas to life was the encouragement and support from Nicolee McIssac, who truly pushed me to take the leap and turn the vision into something real,” said Federico.
Nicole McIssac, the assistant director of content, marketing and communications, is the club advisor to SHUfluencers. McIssac has been an employee at Sacred Heart for about a year and has made significant changes to the university’s social media strategy.
“I really see this club as a space where students can grow creatively and professionally while also building a community,” said McIssac.
Sacred Heart has grown its relationship with their current students and potential students through social media.
“Having social media is another way that people can learn more about the great things that we’re doing here at SHU and what a strong institution this is,” said McIssac.
“It’s about building a personal brand, creating meaningful content, and understanding how to connect with a community authentically,” said Federico.
Sophomore Marco Graci started content creation on TikTok to promote his DJ business. Over the past year, Graci gained 105 million views and 53,000 followers. He acknowledges the difficult work and dedication put into content creation.
‘It can sometimes feel very frustrating, so it’s good to be in a community with other creators,” said Graci. “I would love to help other students begin their journey into content creation.”
The club was established because students were creating content individually, but there wasn’t a space where they could collaborate together.
Junior James Grillo is the Vice President of SHUfluencers and is dedicated to its direction in the future.
“I’m especially passionate about growing membership and connecting students from all different interests so we can hype up everything happening on campus,” said Grillo.
The club has roughly 25 members and are looking to expand to students from all different majors.
“We hope to grow our social presence and recognition, while providing members with great networking opportunities and enjoying our time together as a community,” said Federico.
SHUfluencers plans to become a central creative hub on Sacred Heart’s campus.
“Not every school has spaces for students who are interested in influencer marketing, growing their own brands, or just digital branding in general,” said McIssac.
“I wanted to create a community where students can turn creativity into opportunity and develop skills that translate directly into careers and real-world experiences,” Federico.
