Morgan Rizzo ’23 becomes social media and marketing manager

Morgan Rizzo ’23, who majored in communications and creative writing with a minor in marketing, has started her dream role as a social media and marketing manager for A.T.Y. Hospitality, a food and beverage management company with multiple bakeries in Mystic, Connecticut. She plans to put the skills she learned at Salve Regina to use as she’s tasked with communication, marketing and branding needs.

From her first day on campus to walking across the stage in May, Rizzo attributes her new role to the connections she made and the experiences she had at Salve Regina.

Discovering a talent for writing

Rizzo began her journey at Salve Regina majoring in education. While she always had a passion for writing, it wasn’t until sitting down with education professor Sister Elizabeth McAuliffe that she discovered her talent could move beyond a hobby. “She took me to lunch, I showed her my writing and she told me I was in the wrong department,” Rizzo said. “I will never forget that lunch.”

In the Department of English, Communications and Media, Rizzo found that the diverse course offerings helped to foster her niche. Ranging from social media to videography to journalism, being able to explore numerous communication fields showed Rizzo what was possible.

A community like no other

Rizzo recalls Dr. Donna Harrington-Lueker, professor in the Department of English, Communications and Media, as someone who aided in her journey to A.T.Y. Hospitality and nurtured her talent for writing. Rizzo took Harrington-Lueker’s course on feature writing, which teaches students how to write a variety of news pieces while also honing their interviewing and reporting skills.

During the course, Rizzo was assigned a Q&A piece where she interviewed Ebbie Young, the owner of Sift Bake Shop. After reading Rizzo’s piece, Harrington-Lueker submitted the story to Shannon Cushing ’05, former editor of The Day magazine.

“The story not only got published, but it was the cover story for the February edition, and I am forever thankful to Dr. Harrington-Lueker for believing in me and my writing,” Rizzo said. “Since then, I have been freelancing for the magazine and enjoy doing it.”

Rizzo was also a student employee in Salve Regina’s Office of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs, helping with a variety of tasks like social media, writing and reporting. All of these opportunities enabled her to refine the skill sets she’d need to move into a career in communications.

Looking ahead

Moving the tassel on her graduation cap from right to left this May will not be the end of Rizzo’s educational journey. She plans to obtain a master’s degree in the field of communications and hopes to eventually earn a doctorate. “I enjoy the field so much, and I can see myself continuing in this path towards education,” she said. “Once I have more experience under my belt, it would be awesome to teach at the university level.”

While her time at Salve Regina has come to an end, the experiences she had here will live on in every aspect of her life. “You meet so many classmates and professors that you learn and grow with throughout your four years here,” Rizzo said. “I will cherish these friendships and memories forever.”

Written by student writer Catherine Dolan ’23