Student Spotlight - Elise Troyer

Elise Troyer is a senior at UNK and is majoring in Multimedia, with a minor in Media Production. She has a passion for telling people's stories, and her experience in Multimedia has allowed her to do just that.

Listen to the full interview below.

Audio Transcript

I am here with UNK student Elise Troyer. Elise is a Multimedia Major and she has a minor in Media Production. This is her second year at UNK. We will go ahead and get started. Thanks for joining me, Elise!

Thank you for having me!

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am from Lincoln. Before I moved to Kearney, I was going to the community college there for a couple years just to get my generals out of the way and to save money. I got married and moved to Kearney shortly after that to finish my degree at UNK. My major is Multimedia Communications and I have a minor in Media Production. I absolutely love it. It’s so much fun! It has always been my passion, at least for a while now it has been. I really can't wait to see what happens after I graduate in December.

Tell me a little about what the Multimedia major is.

When I was trying to decide what I was going to major in, I didn't want to choose just one specific area of the media world. When I discovered Multimedia, it was perfect for me because I was able to be educated in multiple areas, including video, photography, design, audio...it's just amazing how much you can learn within this major. It's just perfect for me because I wanted to do so much after I graduated and I've been able to get a strong grasp on how to do a lot of this stuff because I majored in this.

Tell us a little about your experience in Multimedia.

When I started college, I did a leadership program at my church in Lincoln. It was a 10-month program where I was able to intern and do a lot of media-related work, specifically a lot of videos for promos and event recaps. It really taught me how to use professional software, like Adobe Premiere Pro, and how to be professional when you're interviewing people and how to get aesthetically pleasing footage. As my college career developed and I got farther along, I started volunteering for another church in Kearney, where I produced more event recaps and promotions. Then I decided to kick off my own freelance business. I've had a lot of experience in doing business promotions, filming weddings, taking photographs for people...It's just been amazing to be able to bless people in that way. What's even more valuable to me is the experience I get from it--being able to build my portfolio and share my creative work with the world. It's really rewarding when people tell you that they appreciate what you did and that other people are impressed with your work and the quality of it. I really do value that experience more than just making it a job.

What was the most challenging part of starting your freelance work?

The hardest part for me still is getting my name out there to people. When you're starting freelance work, you have to start with the people that are closest to you and volunteer your time, and not necessarily ask people for anything in return. It's more giving than taking at the starting level. I've really been giving more than gaining anything, but it's okay because like I said before, that experience is invaluable. It's something that you'll have forever and it just continues to grow.

So it's worth it?

It is worth it! As you do it more, I've noticed that your friends will continue to reference you to other people.

Which of your experiences in Multimedia has impacted you the most?

I would definitely say it was during the leadership college I was a part of it. When I was learning how to create videos it was super challenging in some aspects because I had leaders that were telling me to do things, and I can remember crying sometimes because of the pressure to get things done in a certain amount of time. That wasn't something I was used to because before that I had my own timeline and could get things done whenever I wanted. But in the real world, you learn that people need things done in a short amount of time and you're responsible to finish that within that timeframe. That was definitely a big learning curve for me and I remember being frustrated a lot of times because I couldn't always get it done when I wanted to. But it's okay!

Is it something that you feel has benefited you since then?

Oh yeah, definitely! If I hadn't learned that early on, I feel like I wouldn't be as successful as I am now. I'm still constantly learning new things, even at this point, just in terms of marketing myself and branding who I am as a business and trying to draw people to my services. I'm trying to get people to recognize me as someone who can give them professional and quality work.

Is there one particular piece of work that you've done that you are really proud of?

There's a lot of videos I've done that I would say I'm proud of, but one that stands out to me the most is a video that I created for my parents as an anniversary gift. They have been married for about 27 years now. When I created it though it was around their 25th anniversary. I interviewed them each separately and I asked them to tell me their story. The reason I did that is because I'm passion about telling people's stories, first of all. How cool is it that a couple that's been together for 25 years is able to share that with people? It was a really neat experience to be able to give that to them because at the end of it, when I put it all together, they were able to see what the other person said. They were crying and there was a lot of emotion that came with it! Not only did it impact them as a couple, but it impacted everyone else that got to see the video. So it was really cool to see the story come together and impact other people around them. [Watch the video below]

What is your dream job?

My absolute dream job would be to be a stay-at-home mom. Some people are kind of shocked when I say that, but honestly I have always dreamed about being a mom. What's cool about my major is that I would still be able to incorporate that in my life without having a job out in the marketplace necessarily. I could still be at home with my kids, but still run my own business doing videos or photography or design...whatever it is. I can manage my own schedule and still be able to do everything that I want to do.

Who is your inspiration and why?

I would definitely say my parents because they have pushed me and loved me like no one else in my life. I don't think I would probably be where I am without them investing in my life like they have. They both went to college and that has encouraged me to finish my college career, just knowing that they got through those hard times and so can I. They are just so supportive in whatever I do--if I complete something, if I'm given any kind of recognition or an award for something I did in my major, they're always there to clap and give me a standing ovation. That has just been so encouraging for me to keep going in the midst of the hard times.

If you were a crayon, what color would you be and why?

I'm going to say red, even though it's not necessarily my favorite color! I think red represents something that can be fiery and wild, but then classy at the same time. You've got a good combination of someone who's fun but can also put on a pair of high-heeled shoes and...be amazing.

If there a movie produced about your life, who would play you?

I think--just off the top of my head--maybe Emma Stone. She kind of has a quirky personality and I think she would be able to portray me pretty well because she's not afraid to be goofy. She's also very talented and amazing at the same time.

Awesome! Thank you so much for talking with me today Elise. It was awesome to get to know a little bit more about you!

25 Years Together - Portfolio Spotlight, Elise Troyer