From Reels to Real World Skills: Student Ideas Help Shape Union Social Media
From a duck waddling across the Memorial Union Terrace to a crowd singing “Sweet Caroline” at the tailgate Badger Bash at Union South…For Wisconsin Union Social Media Intern Madison Luick, these are not just moments worth saving to a camera roll. They are stories worth sharing that thousands of Wisconsin Union social media followers will see.
Madison, a communication arts and journalism major at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, helps decide how stories come to life on the Union’s Instagram and Facebook channels, including planning, filming, and writing.
The Work Behind the Post
On any given day, Madison might film a lighthearted Reel, help plan time-sensitive content during unexpected situations, help plan a collaboration for a sponsor or review analytics to decide what the team should try next.
One especially memorable opportunity for Madison was working alongside Amazon Music to help plan and promote a sponsored campus event. Projects like that call for creativity, collaboration, communication and adaptability.
“You really never know what is going to happen, so always being ready to think of creative ways to problem-solve has been a crucial part of the position,” Madison said. “I get to be both logical and analytical, but also get really creative, which is perfect for me.”
That analytical work is a big part of her internship. Each quarter, Madison helps turn analytics like engagement and views into a report and decisions about what the team should continue, change or try next.
Capturing Terrace Joy
The 2026 Terrace season social media campaign also stands out for Madison.
The campaign began one week before the Memorial Union Terrace reopened for the season with a Reel set to Bad Bunny’s “DtMF.” The goal: capture the joy people feel when the sunburst chairs return and build excitement for another summer by the lake.
The work continued throughout the season. Madison headed outside to gather the small and big moments that make the Terrace feel like the Terrace: artists performing, people dancing, talking and laughing, plus plenty of footage of the ducks that stop by.
“I am super proud of the work I have done to capture the essence and joy of the Terrace in its prime months,” Madison said.
Those cheerful, easy-to-watch videos come with plenty of work behind the scenes. The team maintains a collection of footage, keeps it current and turns individual clips into polished stories through editing, revising and sometimes a little creative problem-solving when a concept does not come together on the first try.
Room to Experiment and Grow
A key part of Madison’s experience has been having meaningful responsibility, along with mentorship and support from Wisconsin Union staff.
“One thing I love is all the autonomy I have to make decisions on the platforms and within the content we post,” Madison said. “It has allowed me to experiment with different things, learn firsthand what works and what does not work as well, and really get hands-on with the brand and learn the audience.”
That balance matters. Students need space to make decisions in order for work to become a true learning experience, but they also need people who will share knowledge, answer questions, help them learn when things don’t go as well as they’d anticipated, and help them grow in their professional confidence. Madison credits supportive supervision and access to industry and brand knowledge with making the internship especially valuable.
This is not a hypothetical exercise. It is professional, real-world work that full-time communications professionals conduct, measured against goals and used to inform future decisions.
When Class and Work Meet
The learning travels both ways. Madison brings ideas from coursework into the internship and carries lessons from the Union back to class.
That became especially clear during a class’s semester-long strategic communications project to rebrand Honeycomb cereal.
The assignment included rethinking the brand’s social media presence. Madison drew on lessons from the Union about understanding how audiences differ across channels and adapting content for audiences and key messages. Experience working within an established brand voice also helped Madison recognize where Honeycomb’s voice lacked consistency and how that could make its social media less effective.
A New Direction for the Future
When Madison began studying journalism and mass communication, the reporting track seemed like the clear path. Strategic communication did not.
Then came the Wisconsin Union internship.
Working on creative concepts, brand collaborations, event promotions and social media strategy changed Madison’s understanding of the field and ultimately led to pursuing the strategic communication track, too.
“This internship completely flipped the narrative,” Madison said. “My position is so dynamic and brings something different to my plate every single day.”
That variety helped turn an uncertain career plan into a clearer goal: a future in creative communications and marketing, whether through social media or other brand-building work.
Creating Content that Feels Like Home
Behind the metrics, campaigns and career preparation is the reason Madison wants the work to connect.
During a difficult first year at UW-Madison, Madison was trying to find a place on a large campus as a first-generation college student. The Union’s building Memorial Union became a source of comfort, whether that meant sitting near the lake, finding a quiet second-floor study spot while snow fell outside or eventually spending time with new friends in der Rathskeller.
“It truly is a special place to me and so many other people, and I keep my story and the stories of others in mind when I make content for the Wisconsin Union,” Madison said.
Of course, Madison hopes a post inspires someone to attend an event, hear live music or watch a film. But the hope does not end with attendance. Maybe the content helps a lonely student find a peaceful place by the lake. Maybe it gives recent graduates a meeting place before they move across the country. Maybe it reminds longtime friends that they can return to the place where their friendship began.
“I hope the content I make is a reminder for people in any and all stages of their UW-Madison experience that they always have a home to come back to,” Madison said, “and that there is always a seat for them on the Terrace.”
This is learning beyond the classroom: a Reel filmed, a report completed, a professional decision entrusted to a student and a sense of belonging passed along to someone who may need it. Through student employment and leadership, students do more than gain experience at the Wisconsin Union. They help shape the Union itself and create experiences for a lifetime for others.
Leadership and Learning for a Lifetime
At the Wisconsin Union, students do not only attend experiences and dine and study in our spaces. They help create experiences and guide the Union’s operations. Through student leadership roles in the student-led programming board, called the Wisconsin Union Directorate, and student employment, students bring ideas, perspectives and firsthand knowledge of campus life into Union programs, services and operations.
Madison’s work is also an extension of our work at the Union to be an out-of-classroom learning laboratory and of our commitment to student voice helping guide the Wisconsin Union.
With more than 1,800 student team members and dozens of Wisconsin Union Directorate student leaders, students help shape what the Union offers while gaining experience they can carry into their careers and communities.
Ready to find your own learning beyond the classroom experience? Explore Wisconsin Union student jobs. Explore Wisconsin Union Directorate committee and club opportunities.
