Finally home

Finally home By: Cory Iwaszewski

Each day, Cecelia Roeder, BA ’15 Communication Studies, drives by the Papago buttes and skyscrapers on her way to work, and reflects on how she loves where her career has taken her. Roeder lives in Arizona, and in the fall of 2019, she started her new role as marketing manager for The Phoenix Symphony. After college at IU South Bend, Roeder felt drawn to the marketing field, and thanks to the skills she learned in the Communication and Fine Arts departments, she was ready for the job.

Roeder came to IU South Bend in the fall of 2011 as a first-generation college student. She chose to study mass communication with a concentration in journalism, and a minor in graphic design. She also spent three years working for the Preface, the campus newspaper. Roeder started as a design editor and ended as editor-in-chief her senior year. Writing has always interested her, but it was later in her academic career she realized she loved to tell stories, just not in a journalistic way. However, the skills learned from the Communication department, matched with the Graphic Design minor helped prepare her for the next step in her journey.

Once the school books were closed and commencement ended, Roeder began looking for jobs. “After graduation, I really felt a call to spread my wings and move away from Indiana. I started applying for out-of-state jobs in a serious way in the fall of 2016” Roeder recalls. This is when she realized the field of marketing is where her heart was taking her. She eventually landed an interview with Arizona Opera, and her skills in writing, design, photography and basic HMTL, landed her the job. Two days later, she was in Phoenix, Arizona. This was just the beginning of her story. “Working at an opera company was an experience I will always treasure” Roeder says.

This past fall, Roeder took another big step forward in accepting the position at The Phoenix Symphony as the marketing manager. At the symphony, her job entails driving the creative process for collateral and various marketing needs from creative meetings, to coordinating with designers, writing copy, and sourcing images. One of the areas Roeder really enjoys in her new role is enhancing the social media content to become more personal, professional, and accessible for the community. “Providing creative direction is something I really enjoy, and I hope as my career grows, this continues to be an area in my wheelhouse” Roeder explained.

She has helped create more personable connections between the artists and the community. By focusing more heavily on the social media aspect, Roeder now focuses on using high-resolution photographs, writing blog posts about musicians’ accomplishments, and videos that feature highlights for the event. This also includes sharing the work the symphony does in their current education and health and wellness initiatives. “Our Mind Over Music program, written about in publications like Forbes Magazine, pairs local teachers with orchestra musicians to create custom lesson plans to integrate music concepts in STEM classes” Roeder states.

For incoming freshmen to IU South Bend, or current students who may be struggling to discover who they are or what they want to do with their careers, Roeder wants to offer some advice.

“First, I would recommend taking your general education classes first. Also, save your electives until the end. I was able to take some really exciting electives, from scriptwriting to theater design, to the history of Islam. Go out of your comfort zone and try something different. I also highly recommend getting involved with some kind of group on campus. If there isn’t one that fits you, create your own! Keep in mind that there’s a life after IU South Bend. If you’re not sure exactly where you want to go with your career, that’s okay! Neither did I. Finally, be aware that there could be a career for you in arts administration. If you are an artist or musician who is passionate about the art form, but perhaps unsure about a career, I would strongly urge you to consider learning more about arts administration” Roeder explained.

Roeder believes that the connections you make in college are extremely beneficial factors in your academic success. A campus the size of IU South Bend allows students to have a lot more personal interaction with professors, staff and other students. This allows the students to branch out and find themselves, and can open the door to big opportunities, like Cecelia Roeder has shown.