Tell us a little bit about yourself

  My name is Olivia Mangan, I use she/they pronouns and have been a UC employee for about 1 year now. I work for the UC Graphics and Marketing Office as the photography assistant and work to take and edit photos for events and departments across the UC.

Tell us a little bit about your unit

   I work in the Graphics and Marketing department in the University Center. The department is made up of graphic designers, marketing assistants, a videographer, and a photography assistant. Our department is responsible for all of the social media posts from the official University Center accounts as well as the amazing posters and graphics that you can find all around.

What does an average day look like working for the UC? What does your position entail?

   Average days working in the UC can look a little bit different for me. A lot of what I do is going to events to take photos. When I’m going to an event I will usually clock in around 10 minutes before the event, I will pick up a camera from the office, and then I head down to the event. My favorite events to go to are the performers that UCLive brings in. I’ve gotten to photograph hypnotists, comedians, bands, singers, etc.

   Aside from the events themselves I do spend several hours in the office every week. During my office hours are when I have the time to edit the photos from the week’s events and to take candid photos around the University Center.

What does being a UC employee mean to you?

   Being a UC employee has been a very important part of my time in Whitewater. I was a transfer student so I didn’t know anyone on campus or anything about campus life until I started my job just over a year ago. It’s so amazing to get the opportunity to be more involved on campus through my job. Not only do I love my job itself, but I love the amazing coworkers that I get to work with. Especially being in the graphics and marketing department I get the opportunity to work and be surrounded by art and artists.

What are some of the most memorable days/moments working for the UC?

   I got the chance to work in the UC over last summer break. In addition to being a photography assistant, I also helped work the Information Services desk. One of my favorite parts of working the Info Desk was I had to get certified to drive the UC vehicles, which allowed me to help donate old lost and found items to different organizations around Whitewater. It was a lot of fun to drive the UC van around town in the warm weather and donate some items to good causes.

Why should students visit the UC?

   Students should visit the UC because it is the hub of campus. There’s food, places to study, ways to get involved, and obviously lots of fun events. I think that more students should come to the events and presentations that are held in the UC because not only are they amazingly fun, informative, and a way to get connected on campus, but they’re also free for students!

How will your position at the UC help you in your future career?

   My job in the UC helped me figure out my future career. I struggled the first two years of college trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I have always loved photography but since starting my job in the UC, I have fallen head over heels for photojournalism and have learned so much about photography/social skills/advertising/journalism/ and so much more in a “real world” type of environment.

How do you balance school, work, extracurricular activities, and a social life?

   In the past, I’ve struggled a lot with balancing everything. I think the most important thing is to practice self care and be kind to yourself. Besides that I use an app called Finch, you get to set your goals for the day, you can go on self care journeys, and the best part is you get to have a little cartoon penguin friend who makes tasks a lot more enjoyable.