Senior Business Marketing Major Tana Thomas Elevates McMurry’s Digital Presence
Over the past semester, visitors to the Strategic Communications and Marketing office were likely to find Tana Thomas hard at work on graphics, videos, and other creative projects that help showcase life on the McMurry campus online. A senior business marketing major from southeastern New Mexico, Tana has been a welcome addition to the team as an intern, sharpening her skills in social media management, content creation, and digital design.
Raised in Lovington, New Mexico, Tana grew up with a strong sense of community, something that fit perfectly into McMurry’s close-knit environment. She chose McMurry after her first campus visit, drawn to the University’s welcoming atmosphere and small, family-like feel. The distance from home was ideal; far enough to gain independence, but close enough to visit. With her father having once lived in Abilene and attended Cooper High School, the location felt meant to be.
As part of the Strategic Communication and Marketing team, Tana has contributed to numerous social media projects, using her talents in graphic design, video production and editing, and photo editing to help shape McMurry’s digital presence. She has played a key role in creating engaging event updates for Instagram stories, editing fun throwback videos using old yearbook photos, and conducting student and employee interviews for McMurry’s social media channels. In addition, Tana helps write captions for The Messenger magazine and conceptualizes and executes ideas for McMurry’s TikTok account under the FROM INTERN TO INFLUENCER TANA THOMAS ELEVATES McMURRY’S DIGITAL PRESENCE supervision of Digital Media Specialist Jonathan Ramirez.
Using industry-standard tools including Adobe Creative Suite, CapCut, Canva, and Later.com for creating and scheduling posts across multiple social media platforms, Tana touches all aspects of digital media during her morning internship hours before heading to class. Since starting her internship, Tana has learned to use new software and editing techniques which have helped her create some of the University’s most sought-out reels on Facebook.
Tana’s time in the department has helped her grow both personally and professionally while deepening her appreciation for the creative process behind McMurry’s digital presence. “I’m so grateful for this internship because it’s taught me so many new skills and helped me grow in areas I had some experience in,” Tana said.
“I’ve learned how to use social media scheduling tools, do better market research to find trends, and write more professional and engaging captions. This experience has helped me become more confident and creative, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.”
Tana’s internship is one example of how McMurry students gain valuable, hands-on experience beyond the classroom. Across campus, students are putting their knowledge into practice through internships, campus work study jobs, and community partnerships that help prepare them for life after graduation.
Providing more opportunities like these is a key priority under the leadership of McMurry’s new president, Dr. Lynne Murray. The University is committed to expanding experiential learning opportunities that align with students’ interests and career goals, and alumni play an important role by mentoring students, offering internships, and sharing professional expertise.
As graduation approaches, Tana is excited to take the skills, confidence, and creativity she developed at McMurry as she pursues a career in social media and marketing.
