Chapters

• 0:00 Who is Christina Vittas?
• 0:50 Christina's path to working on Sesame Street
• 2:34 First time Christina came to Quinnipiac
• 3:36 Christina's exploration of figuring out what she wanted to study at Quinnipiac
• 4:40 The impact of being a reporter in student media
• 6:28 How the courses Christina took in college are relevant to her work today
• 7:48 Christina's career path at Sesame Workshop
• 9:23 A typical day working at Sesame Workshop
• 10:15 Recommendation to students for success
• 13:10 What Christina has learned from her success
• 14:31 Why Christina continues to want to contribute to Quinnipiac

Transcript

Joel Vanner: Hello, and ”Who Are You?,” the Bobcats you know, the stories you don't. I'm your host, Joel Vanner, inside the podcast studio at Quinnipiac University's School of Communications. And I am joined by a very special guest from the neighborhood, my very good friend, Christina Vittas. Christina, welcome to the show. 

Christina Vittas: Thanks, Joel. Happy to be here with you. 

Joel Vanner: Christina, I know who you are, but for our listeners, tell me, who are you? 

Christina Vittas: So I'm Christina Vittas. I'm a Quinnipiac class of 2020. I majored in advertising and integrated communications and minored in computer information systems. And now I'm a senior social media manager at Sesame Workshop, which is the nonprofit behind Sesame Street. 

Joel Vanner: Awesome. Advertising and integrated communications in Sesame Street. We'll get into both of those things. But tell me, when you were growing up, did you watch Sesame Street, and know: I wanted to work in marketing there? What was younger Christina like? 

Christina Vittas: Younger Christina loved all things: TV, movies, music, a lot of memories, you know, hunkered downstairs, watching whatever VHS tape I could get my hands on. And then, so far, you know, DVR, all the things. 

Joel Vanner: VHS tape was a thing you had to rewind before you brought it back to Blockbuster. 

Christina Vittas: Oh yes. Learned that the hard way. 

Joel Vanner: Our listeners may not know what a VHS tape is. 

Christina Vittas: So true. So true. But yeah, I've always loved media. And thankfully, I had an older brother, too, to kind of guide me in that way as well. He's five years older, and he always dreamed of being a sports broadcaster. So I always wanted to follow in his footsteps and kind of got interests based off of him as well. 

Joel Vanner: And you took those classes in high school, right? So, you had specialized experience growing up. 

Christina Vittas: Yeah, we were lucky enough to go, I went to Wayhills High School, and there is a TV production program. It's a four-year program. It's an elective you can pick. My brother very much focused on the sports aspect of play-by-play and things like that. Truly, on my first day of high school, that TV production teacher went up to me and was like, "You have big shoes to fill." I was like, "You know what? You're so right." But they're going to be different. So I didn't focus on the sports. I focused on more of like video editing and making, you know, like packages and music videos and anything fun that I could do. I started the video morning announcements at my high school. It was super fun. 

Joel Vanner: Trend Setter. 

Christina Vittas: Oh, yeah, we got to. And so I really enjoyed that, and I learned the basics of video editing and things of that nature. And I knew that I wanted to follow this communications path. And funny enough, my first time at Quinnipiac was when I was a kid, and my brother was looking at colleges... 

Joel Vanner: You have a lot to thank your brother for.  

Christina Vittas: You know what? Yeah, shout out to my brother, John. He's the best. And so I was brought on his sort of college-searching journey, and I very much distinctly remember going to Quinnipiac for the first time. It was a pouring rain day. My mom was the only, you know, crazy mom saying, “No, we're still going to do this tour in the pouring rain.” 

Joel Vanner: Came all the way from New Jersey. She's not going to reschedule that. 

Christina Vittas: Of course. No- 

Joel Vanner: Strict schedule. 

Christina Vittas: Of course. That's Mama Vittas. And so we had our ponchos, and we took our tour around campus, and I just always had Quinnipiac in the back of my mind. When it was my turn to look for a school. And I found that when it was my turn, you know, it had option A, option B, option C for anything that I was interested in. In the world of communications, and if I so choose something beyond that. So it was a great, like, wow, coming home from when I was younger, I feel. 

Joel Vanner: So, when you came to Quinnipiac, you said option A, B, and C.  Did you not know you wanted to go right into advertising? Where did you start when you came? 

Christina Vittas: Oh, definitely did not know from the get-go that I wanted to do advertising. I came in undecided on paper, but I was kind of decided I wanted to do film and television. I came into school thinking, I'm going to be a TV producer. That's my route. And then through the classes I was taking, through the student experiences, especially Q30, I got to kinda step my foot into what a real-life job would be. In film and TV and also journalism, both which majors I did declare at one point. And I kind of just discovered that that wasn't my path. I had other strengths I could explore. And so, from undecided to film/TV to journalism, I landed on advertising and integrated communications. I just felt like I wanted to explore that end of storytelling and how you can do it beyond just, like, hard journalism and more of a brand storytelling. And it worked out pretty well. 

Joel Vanner: You mentioned Q30, which is the student-run television station here at Quinnipiac. We were both really involved in that. How did that contribute to helping you find the avenue that you wanted to study in coordination with the classes you were taking in your program? 

Christina Vittas: Absolutely. So, I remember I was a news producer. You were once news director. 

Joel Vanner: I was once news director. The younger me was. 

Christina Vittas: Yeah, it was so fun. And you know, I was putting out a package a week, and I was doing the work of, like, a journalist; truly, we were covering real news on campus and beyond, and we treated it like a real newsroom. And that was great experience, because I had so much fun and made so many great friends. But I also realized this is not for me. Like, I don't think I want to pay my dues in that way. And I'm really grateful I learned that in the student experience route, as opposed to, like, you know, graduating and doing my first job, while that totally happens, and could still happen. But I'm happy I did that as a student, had that discovery there. Yeah, so it was just- I'm really grateful for that experience, and I don't know. I felt like I learned the hard skills, and I wanted to expand my horizons when I decided to change major 

Joel Vanner: And like a lot of involvements here, you don't have to be a certain class year to get right involved. You got involved right from the get-go. You found out, Hey, this wasn't for me, you changed your program. You landed in advertising. 

Christina Vittas: Totally. 

Joel Vanner: And Integrated Communications. 

Christina Vittas: I even came into Q30 a little bit later. Like, I didn't do it day one. I at first wanted to, you know, be a student first and, like, do the student things, like join sorority world, did other things. And then I think I didn't join Q30 until sophomore year, I want to say, or at least then became a producer, sophomore year. 

Joel Vanner: Yeah, never too late to get involved. 

Christina Vittas: Absolutely. 

Joel Vanner: And you have been involved in other things as well. But in your advertising program, what is the course that you took away the most from? What was your favorite course that you still think about today during your work with Sesame Workshop? 

Christina Vittas: I am so proud as I use a lot of my degree and everyday tasks in my job. Well, I mean, one, I fully took a social media management course in college, and that was incredible. We had this whole system where you could put in posts and curate the content for, I think it was a bag brand, as the thing you're working on as the project. And it would then sort of do its sort of AI calculation of how well would it perform. And I remember waiting till the last minute. But doing pretty well.  

Joel Vanner: It was like a whole simulation. 

Christina Vittas: It was a whole simulation. And I ended up being, you know, I really enjoyed that so I was like, Oh, this is kind of a seed planted through that class, which I'm very grateful for. But I mean, I use the general 101 graphic design I literally took as a first-year student, and I use those fundamentals every day in making graphics and sort of doing, you know, working with our graphic designers at Sesame. And then, of course, I really value all the strategic communications; so truly, writing my capstone group, we still are in contact every so often, and we're cheering on each other on all of our professional endeavors. And I think back to that work a lot for sure. 

Joel Vanner: So you mentioned your work with Sesame. You've had a couple of different roles at the workshop. How did you start there?  

Christina Vittas: Yeah, I actually started as an intern, and funny enough, my aunt was looking for a job at the time, and she saw that they had posted an internship program for the summer, she sent it my way via email, and I was truly like, I think in a class, and I was like, oh, this is everything. Like I must apply. And so I locked myself into the- not locked, but put myself into the Arnold Bernard library and filled out my resume application, some essays. I did- I wanted this internship so badly that I knew I wanted to give it 110% on the application process. So, I did bring my cover letter, my resume, to the career resource office to review. I was like, I'm doing everything I can to make sure it's the most polished as I can.  

Joel Vanner: Use all those resources, right? 

Christina Vittas: Exactly, yeah, totally. And I applied and interviewed and sure enough, got my summer internship at Sesame Workshop, and it was a really exciting time. It was the 50th anniversary of Sesame Street. There was a lot going on. I'm pretty sure the day before I started, they had just named West 63rd Street in New York, “Sesame Street”. It was just so exciting. And pretty soon, I realized, oh, I would love to come back here as, you know, a working professional one day. And so then, you know, graduate Quinnipiac, just a whole global pandemic later. 

Joel Vanner: Right. 

Christina Vittas: They were hiring for part time freelance work, and I jumped up the opportunity to join the team again. And here we are. 

Joel Vanner: And what is a typical day in your job now as a senior social media manager? 

Christina Vittas: Yeah. Not every day is the same, but some things that I do, right, is content curation, content and calendar management. So I support on Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop Channels, as well as our characters. So Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird. There's a lot of furry friends on the Internet, and I encourage everyone to go follow. But, yeah, so managing their calendars and the Sesame Street Gang, they are busy bees. They keep me on my toes. And whenever there's, like, activations and partnerships and clips from this show that we're about to start season 56 debuting, I help create that content and put it on social platforms for everyone to see. 

Joel Vanner: Your roles have evolved, your responsibilities grown, right? Your impact has gotten larger. You came to Quinnipiac. You weren't quite certain where you wanted to be. You tried a whole bunch of things out, right? It seems like a lot of progression and success. What do you recommend to students who aren't really sure where they want to be, where they want to go, but they still want to be successful in the ways that you have, as well. What would you say to them? 

Christina Vittas: Thanks so much. That's so kind, really kind. Flattering question. I would say that you really have to try everything. Like, I think, as a student, is the time to say yes to as much as you can. And I'm really grateful for that. Upon reflection, I think that my student involvement really prepared me for my first job and thereafter. 

Joel Vanner: And it was more than Q30. It was: you ran the Panhellenic Council, you were president of your sorority, right? 

Christina Vittas: Oh, Joel, you know me too well. I love it. Yes. Thank you. 

Joel Vanner: I have your resume right here. 

Christina Vittas: Thanks so much. Yeah, I really think, like, two distinct roles that really stand out to me was my sorority world experience, right? I was a chapter president at Chi Omega at Quinnipiac, and I was also on Panhellenic Council, like you said, and Panhellenic was the first experience of managing a social media account. I managed the Instagram for Panhellenic and that was such rich experience. And yes, I was making flyers and kind of doing, you know, everyday grunt work, but it was really beneficial. 

Joel Vanner: You're making an impact, right? You're making an impact here that you've later taken all those experiences to Sesame now. 

Christina Vittas: Yeah, I learned how important social can be, truly as information sharing, but also community building. And then even with that, you know, that's more professional-facing. But being an RA was also an experience that I really value, and I think prepared me for all the aspects of life in the sense of tough conversations, building community, building friendships, building trust with others, conflict mediation, putting on events, right? Like, we put on some big-scale events up on York Hill, and I'm really proud of that, and highly recommend being an RA if you have the opportunity and can apply. 

Joel Vanner: Yeah. As an RA — a “resident assistant” is the full term of what an RA stands for — there's a lot involved and to unpack in there, especially guiding your fellow students through their college experience as well in that context. 

Christina Vittas: Yeah, super rewarding. And I also loved the staff, right, of, like, my fellow students that I got to work with for that. I was just with some of my past RAs this past weekend. It was still great. So long lasting relationships with the long hours that you also put in, because it is a job for sure, but a rewarding one at that. 

Joel Vanner: So building experience in the classroom, experience in your involvements, community connections, right, that you still work with now in your role at Sesame. Looking back on the success you've had so far, what have you learned the most? 

Christina Vittas: My goodness. 

Joel Vanner: Sorry, that's a hard question. 

Christina Vittas: Yeah. 

Joel Vanner: Follow up the nice ones with a hard one. 

Christina Vittas: Yeah, I mean, I think a standout lesson is really that you're so capable if you want to stand up for a challenge type of thing. So, right, it sounds like a pretty nice runway, right? I started as an intern and then became part-time freelance, then full-time, and so on and so forth. But it really was all the pre-work that prepared me for my first job and every challenge thereafter. So I think practicing like you want to play and then taking it into the real world, like being prepared as much as possible. I'm so grateful for that. And it just helped me feel more confident and more equipped for in the workplace and beyond of, like, adulthood, you know? 

Joel Vanner: And just believing in yourself, too. I'm sure there were moments where you weren't quite sure, but you have yourself. You have to have those positive thoughts and think about what you want to do and apply yourself in that way. 

Christina Vittas: Oh, yes. I had some impostor syndrome, for sure. I had my little crash-out run to Barnes & Noble to get a self-help book or two. That happens. But I think, like, leaning on your friends, right? Like you for advice and, you know, seeking support whenever you need it. 

Joel Vanner: So you're back here today for this podcast. You've contributed back to Quinnipiac in many ways since you've graduated. What brings you, draws you to keep contributing to the Quinnipiac community still as an alumni? 

Christina Vittas: Oh, I mean, I really, we can't tell, loved my student experience, right? And I also felt that there were a lot of alumni that came back to support and, you know, were an inspiration to me when I was a student. So if I can do that, I'm sure, for sure going to do that. And, you know, I'm still deeply connected with a lot of my friends that I made here at Quinnipiac. And I think that's, like, you know, you don't always get that depending on where you go to school and just like life. So it brings me joy and it brings my friends joy to come back and give the latest scoop of what's happening on the South Quad campus. 

Joel Vanner: We're doing that next, taking you on a tour of the brand-new SITE and School of Business buildings on the South Quad. They're beautiful. 

Christina Vittas: I feel like I have to keep up with Quinnipiac. That's the situation here. 

Joel Vanner: We have to keep up with you. That's how that goes. 

Christina Vittas: So funny. 

Joel Vanner: Christina, thank you so much for joining me today on the show. It was great to have you and look forward to seeing your continued success in the world. 

Christina Vittas: Thanks, Joel. And likewise. Thanks for having me. 

Joel Vanner: If you enjoy today's episode of ”Who Are You?,” be sure to like, subscribe, and share, and find other episodes on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube podcasts. Until next time, when I ask my next guest: Who Are You? I'm Joel Vanner. Bye for now.