Bety Téllez Mora's Path to a Creative Career

Judy Oskam : 0:03

Welcome to Stories of Change and Creativity - Scotland Edition. This is a short series where I explore how people navigate change and embrace creativity even when the path isn't clear. I'm Judy Oskam and in this edition I'm coming to you from Queen Margaret University near Edinburgh, Scotland. I'm teaching a three-week public relations course as part of Texas State University's Education Abroad program and along the way I'm sitting down with students, faculty and local professionals to capture their stories. From first-time travelers to creative pros. These conversations reveal how global experiences can shape who we are and how we communicate with the world. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Bety Tellez Mora: 1:00

So I'm Bety Tellez and I'm the Content and Campaigns Officer for the Marketing Team at Queen Margaret University Edinburgh.

Judy Oskam : 1:07

Well, you've been so kind to talk to my students this last week and they've learned a lot about social media. And talk about how you got into this field and how you started from student to now professional.

Bety Tellez Mora: 1:20

Yeah. So I think it kind of goes back to my background, which is actually journalism. So I studied journalism at the University of Sterling for four years. I always kind of knew I wanted to go into communications and media and with my interest in politics and social issues, journalism just kind of seemed like the right fit. So that was kind of a no brainer. I just went straight into journalism communications.

Bety Tellez Mora: 1:43

I ended up at Sterling because had like really good rankings for that field and I wanted to to come to Scotland because I at the time I lived in Italy, um, and I wanted to stay in Europe. But Scotland is significantly cheaper than the rest of the UK. Is this, yeah, okay for international students especially? Yeah, so, um, yeah, that's kind of how I made my decision and I studied journalism, as I said, um, I had a really good time at Sterling. I had a lot of opportunities to um get work experience in broadcast radio, a little bit of magazine, a little bit newspapers, um. But I think after, especially towards the end of that degree, I realized that I don't think journalism in the traditional sense of it. It was kind of really for me.

Judy Oskam : 2:32

And when was that? Was that about? Was that five, six years ago, or what?

Bety Tellez Mora: 2:36

So I started studying that degree in 2013.

Bety Tellez Mora: 2:40

Okay, and I finished it by 2017, 16, something like that. Okay, um, and I finished it by 2017, 16, something like that, um, and I think at the time I think I'm sure it's different now, but that degree, at that time that I was studying it, I don't think the higher education sector had fully caught up with digital media, so I was still very much being taught um kind of like old school journalism, like very much focused on the newsroom, like, for example, I don't actually remember social media really being discussed much, right, until, maybe, like, all of our practical kind of modules started more in the third year, and even then it was quite limited. Some of us did an internship. You could, like you could apply to do an internship as part of your course, but not even then everybody got to do it. It was kind of based on people's grades grades. So even the practical elements of that course were quite limited. It was all very much theory and essay writing and stuff, which I really love because I'm a massive nerd and.

Bety Tellez Mora: 3:35

I love writing essays. I'm very good at that kind of lone wolf kind of work, yeah, yeah, but it wasn't challenging me enough. As I said, it might be different now, but at the time I just felt like all of the experience that I got in the media was really from me. Kind of seeking out internships in the summer, which I did a lot of at that time, um, but having worked in a newsroom, it was only like a one-week internship in a local paper here in Edinburgh um, I just realized it was too hectic of an environment for me.

Bety Tellez Mora: 4:04

It was a little too stressful. It was very unpredictable. You weren't really sure. Like you know, things could change very quickly. You could have spent like all this time working on a piece that was going to get scrapped, it's true, and it didn't help that everybody in the newsroom was kind of talking about redundancies and being scared of being laid off. So it was just all kind of like a um, an interesting experience. It was really helpful and I'm really happy that I did it, but, um, I remember just thinking I don't know if this is for me necessarily, um, and maybe not a long-term career, so you were thinking ahead.

Judy Oskam : 4:36

As far as where is this gonna go right?

Bety Tellez Mora: 4:38

yeah, because everybody was pretty much, uh, thinking of like, yeah, just going into newspapers and I was like I think maybe magazines would be more for me. I have this anecdote from that internship where, um, I think it was the very last day of it, so I was already a bit kind of like I don't think this is for me. And there was this story of someone that had jumped of a building. They had committed suicide, oh my gosh. And the reaction in the newsroom was like, oh, couldn't he have waited two hours because it was gonna throw up everybody's schedules.

Bety Tellez Mora: 5:06

Yes, and I was like it was a very sobering experience because I understand like when you're dealing with like tragic stories all the time and very difficult subjects, you have to develop like a thick skin and a, you know, a sense of humor about it. Right, but it was just like not that, that was my only deciding, but it was one of many things that I was just like I don't think this is for me, so I remember. One thing that I do remember is that I never questioned that I was going to go ahead and do a master's Like. That was always part of the plan. You always planned to do that yeah.

Bety Tellez Mora: 5:35

Because I loved academia. As I said, I loved writing essays.

Judy Oskam : 5:38

And learning. You just love learning, right yeah.

Bety Tellez Mora: 5:40

I'm that classic person who loves highlighting color-coordinated notes and stuff, teachers love you I was a teacher's pet for sure. So I was like I'm going to do a master's. That wasn't a question. It was a question what would I do? And having had that experience in the newsroom, I was kind of like I think I want to do magazine journalism, maybe something that's a bit more slow-paced. You get to work on your pieces for a bit longer.

Bety Tellez Mora: 6:05

In. You get to work on your pieces a bit longer In depth, in depth, yeah. And I remember I had a lecturer at the time, eddie, who told me because I was like I kind of want to do magazine journalism as my master's, and he was like you don't need that, you already have the skills that you would learn in a magazine journalism degree. So he said go for something that would kind of complement your journalism degree. So I said, ok, I think I'm going to go for politics. So that's when I decided to do that master's. It was called Human Rights, international Politics at Glasgow University. So I went straight into that after my journalism degree, which was a really good experience.

Bety Tellez Mora: 6:41

It was very challenging at first because not only was it a bit of a slightly more prestigious university, so the expectations were higher on the students. But I think everybody that went into that master's came from a politics degree, a law degree, an international relations degree. So I felt kind of behind. Sometimes I felt like I had to try a bit harder to keep up with everybody else. It was very philosophical at times, very theoretical, as I said, um, and I feel like a lot of times I would feel quite lost in the conversations that in class, being like I have no idea what these topics mean, what these terms, um. So I had to try a lot harder than everybody else. I feel like and I remember like people were coming from like internships at the UN and an internship in Geneva and things like that, and I was like I work in a pub you know what I mean and I had some experience in the media, but it was very different from what we were doing on this degree.

Bety Tellez Mora: 7:33

So that was a really good experience, but at the end of that degree I think because I was so focused on keeping up with everybody else in terms of the grades- and the assessments and the exams focused on keeping up with everybody else in terms of the grades and the assessments and the exams.

Bety Tellez Mora: 7:46

I did not do any of the other practical stuff that I was doing, you know, just on my own during my journalism degree. So, for example, Glasgow University has a wonderful student newspaper. I was very active in my student newspaper in Sterling but I never even went to a single meeting at this one because I was just so focused on you, were so busy the academics. I just felt like that I did that was a disadvantage to myself because I left with this, this shiny degree, which I was very proud of because it was a challenge, and said I did feel like I had to try harder than others, perhaps to like get on the same level, but I left without much in the way of work experience or vocational skills.

Judy Oskam : 8:24

Right, right. And so what did you do then? Then you came back here.

Bety Tellez Mora: 8:28

So at that time so that would have been end of 2018, I think. So I knew that there was. I had some travel planned, some trips planned in 2019. Yeah, I had never taken a gap year between high school, uni, my master's, so I kind of wanted a bit of a break and I had my cousin's wedding was coming up and that was going to be a huge road trip around Mexico, which is where I'm from.

Judy Oskam : 8:51

I don't know if I mentioned that, oh no.

Bety Tellez Mora: 8:53

I'm from Mexico City, so I knew that I kind of didn't want to. I wasn't throwing myself into like job hunting right away, sure, because I knew I had all that coming up. But I then did hit this point of kind of having the existential crisis of being in my mid-20s, having these two degrees. But my work experience by then was not super recent anymore. But you needed a break, I think too right, I think so yeah. And also it's harder being an international student.

Bety Tellez Mora: 9:22

It comes with its challenges, like I wasn't legally allowed to work after my visa as a student so I had to kind of ask myself do I want to try to come back to the camp, look for jobs that would sponsor me? Do I have to go back to Mexico? Like all of that was happening. But while I was exploring all these questions, covid happened. So that was actually kind of a blessing, in disguise, I have to say, because I felt like I myself was frozen, but then the whole world kind of the whole world was frozen with me.

Bety Tellez Mora: 9:49

Yes, so it gave me a lot of time to slow down and think of what my next steps were. And did you go back to Mexico City? My mom was living at the time in Athens, so I that's where I spent most of the quarantine. Um, but yeah, so during that time, my one of my best friends, warren. He messaged me. He was my friend from uni and he said did you know that the UK government has changed the postgraduate visa situation? Because when I was a student, you could only stay for three months after your degree ended, which is really not that much time, no, to look for a job and then get your life together, especially when you're that young and you're new to job hunting and interviewing and all that stuff.

Bety Tellez Mora: 10:27

So the UK government at that time introduced a two-year postgraduate visa, which is still the case today. Um, and I thought this would be good for me. Yeah, um, and I discussed it with my family. Obviously I know I'm in a very privileged position that I was able to do that and go back. I had my whole family was in Scotland, like my friends, my, my fiancee at the time, oh wow. So Scotland was really where I wanted to be so um.

Bety Tellez Mora: 10:52

So I decided to come back, but I, when I was looking for master's, my priorities completely changed. I wasn't so concerned about rankings or you know. I really just wanted to find a course that was very vocational in nature, very practical, hands on. And I came across the digital companion and content creation masters here in Margaret and it was like very unique, like I felt like there wasn't really anything like it in what we call the central belt of Scotland. So I applied to that. I actually waited a year because I didn't want to go into it. Well, covid was still very much a thing. Oh, you wanted to go on campus.

Bety Tellez Mora: 11:26

Yeah, so I waited, so I did go back to Mexico at that time. Once I kind of made a decision, I went home, I applied to all of the union from there and then I came back to Scotland in September 2021.

Judy Oskam : 11:39

Okay, yeah, Okay, so you took that degree then.

Bety Tellez Mora: 11:43

then you decided to really dive into that whole content creation and digital right yeah, because I wanted to still, as I said, work in comms and media, but I felt like and tell stories, right, yeah, I felt like my kind of I realized that again the as much as I do think eventually, maybe that would be a route that I would explore.

Bety Tellez Mora: 12:01

I think marketing and PR is what started to call my name a little bit. Um, and, as I said, my priorities kind of completely changed. I was like I wasn't going to worry so much about getting straight A's. I wanted to take time out of my day to do other things that would benefit me. So, for example, one of the things that I know I talked to your students about was the student content creator role. So that's a position that the marketing offers to our students and that was advertised when I had just started and I was like I need that job. I was like I'm going to do everything I can to get that job because it's part-time, it's very flexible, it was more than part-time, it's like a freelance opportunity.

Bety Tellez Mora: 12:35

So you just kind of pitch ideas and you get paid for them on a like freelance type basis, and it was great experience. It was obviously highly relevant to what I was doing and what I wanted to do. And I remember one time I remember the day there was an assessment that was due and I was like I could probably work on that a little bit more or I could spend more time on this job application. And I was like I'm going to do the job application, I care about that so much more and I did well on my degree as well.

Judy Oskam : 13:02

So it's not to say that I completely neglected that, but you didn't stress over the degree. You were focusing on the future, really Exactly.

Bety Tellez Mora: 13:09

And like all the other opportunities that I could benefit from, because QMU offers a lot of those kind of things. So, for example, another thing that I did and that's the other thing is this degree is built with that kind of in mind. So one of our modules is industry-based learning. So you have to do an internship, you have to do work experience, where that wasn't the case with my other degrees. So you're kind of forced to do that which is good degrees, and so you're kind of forced to do that, which is good um. So I I did a bit of working. I work with a charity uh, based here at qmusical stack of skills, so I did a bit of um strategy for them. I edited some videos for some of their campaigns and I did some work with a new business that was working on um, like couch tours in edinburgh, and I also did, obviously, the social media content creator role, which that actually counted. Those hours counted towards my degree. So it was like killing two birds with one stone.

Bety Tellez Mora: 13:59

I was getting paid, but it was also part of my course, um. So yeah, when I finished, the degree kind of the timing was perfect because my predecessor for the role that I have just now had just announced that she was leaving. So the job went up and I decided to apply for it and I got it.

Judy Oskam : 14:15

Oh, that's great. Oh, that's great yeah.

Bety Tellez Mora: 14:17

It was a very it was really good timing.

Judy Oskam : 14:20

Well, and your timing? You have a history of timing right. You go here, you go there. You make a change here and I love the fact that you're pretty adaptable. Is that part of how you operate and how you live, or have you had to learn that?

Bety Tellez Mora: 14:35

I think it's probably because I grew up moving around the world. So my mom was she's now retired but she's a diplomat she was a diplomat, so we kind of lived all over and I had to adapt to new countries, new schools, and so I think when I was a kid I hated it, because I hated leaving my friends and starting over, Sure, but I think that's kind of where that comes from and, yeah, just kind of as I said, I think being an immigrant, I should say because it's not just in the context of an international student, but being an immigrant it comes with those challenges and having to adapt and having to, yeah, just go for it.

Judy Oskam : 15:14

Well, and now, when you work with students, do you share that your journey to help them, because I think that's important, to help them understand that they too can make changes and zig and zag, and when they have to, do you talk about that much?

Bety Tellez Mora: 15:29

Yeah, I think one of the main things that I've kind of advised some of the students that I work with on is that idea of like not getting too caught up in trying to be perfect and getting the perfect grades and about making the most of the opportunities that are outside the classroom, if you will, and like I think I gave this example to your students but like not feeling like you're not good enough or just because you don't meet the criteria, that maybe a job wants or you know that you shouldn't try and go for it, and because that's how. That's kind of what I've had to do a lot of the times is just hope, you know, try my best and hope that, even if it's in my head not something I'm qualified for, that maybe I won't get right, you still try right, right.

Judy Oskam : 16:10

Why do you think we're like them? Why do you think we think that we need to know it all before we jump in and start it?

Bety Tellez Mora: 16:16

I think honestly it's a women thing, do you? And it could be. I feel like when I compare, like what I fear and what I, when I like, doubt myself and think I'm not good enough for something, and then I compare it to male colleagues or male students you know, back when I was at uni, like confidence level is so different. It might not be the case for every single person, of course, but I just do feel like we doubt ourselves more and we feel like, oh, I'm not qualified for this or how, how am I going to do this? I don't think I can do this. And that's another thing that I like to tell students is that if you've been hired for a job or you've been given a gig, it's because the person believes that you can do it, so you can do it yeah, I think that, I think that's great and I think too.

Judy Oskam : 17:00

How do you? How do you then, uh, help, help students really understand that, um, that they're going to make mistakes, and we do make mistakes and you know how do you?

Bety Tellez Mora: 17:13

moving forward it can be hard because, as I said, my work with the students is a lot about them either pitching ideas for me, giving them tasks, and then they execute the piece of content um, and it can be hard to tell them like this is not good enough. But because obviously I have a responsibility to the university to make sure that everything that we host is brand compliant and it's appropriate and of quality um, but I think, um, just letting them know that in itself is part of the process. Like you are getting paid to learn, so even if you don't get it right the first time, that is part of a part of the process. And I think I've given um I don't know if it's necessarily to students, but definitely to my classmates um, back when I was a student, like that example of like me going on on that internship for the local newspaper in Edinburgh was a very big deal and I was very proud to get that, especially because I said not everybody got to do an internship um, but that was in itself a learning experience.

Bety Tellez Mora: 18:06

That that's not kind of, that's not what I wanted to do really, yes, um and at the time I I just remember thinking and it was quite useful because we had we had to do a reflective kind of essay after the internship and I remember thinking what am I going to say? But I was like that in itself is a learning experience. It taught me that I don't think the skills I'm going to take away with me and they're going to serve me in other areas, but I was like I just don't think daily news is for me and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Judy Oskam : 18:35

Exactly.

Bety Tellez Mora: 18:36

Exactly.

Judy Oskam : 18:37

Well, and what? How do you do? What self-talk do you do to yourself? I mean, how do you talk to yourself about seeing the positive and moving forward? Do you do self-coaching? And and what are your tips and tricks?

Bety Tellez Mora: 18:56

I guess I would say I definitely have to because, yeah, as I said, my career has not been linear. So and I've taken that to heart Like I've definitely felt self-conscious about the fact that, for example, I have three degrees, but there was a point where I had three degrees and very little work experience and I found that embarrassing for some reason, like I just hated telling people that.

Bety Tellez Mora: 19:19

I had three degrees, but three degrees from prestigious universities is a great accomplishment and I, as I said, I was proud, especially with that Glasgow one because it was so different from what I was used to. So it was like I definitely worked really hard to get there. But I just remember thinking like there's people that have one degree and then they have all these. You know this wonderful career that you know. But I had to be. I have to remember to be kind to myself because my, as I said, there is context to everything.

Bety Tellez Mora: 19:46

So obviously the fact that I graduated from these courses but then I wasn't really allowed to stay in the country for very long meant that that obviously hindered me and that meant that I would have to go back home and kind of go back to the drawing board and figure out what my next steps. And all of that obviously took time. And then COVID happened, when I was, I think, 25 or 26. So that obviously put a pause on my career and everything. So, yeah, I think those were things that I was really self-conscious about and kind of felt really like not good enough and, despite the fact that I said, most people would have looked at me and be like you have three degrees.

Judy Oskam : 20:22

Like that's so impressive.

Bety Tellez Mora: 20:24

But I was like I just is. I feel like it's almost like a cop out, like that's how I felt like I did these degrees because it was like the easier route, which wasn't necessarily the case. But I said I was kind of it's not easy yeah, it's not.

Bety Tellez Mora: 20:37

It's not um, but yeah, I think, when I look at it in hindsight, I'm like, well, first of all, you, you got there eventually, even though it was hard and it wasn't as easy as it could have been for people that were born in this country and they have the right to live here. Um, and you still got there eventually. Um, and, yeah, it wasn't linear and there were a lot of parts where I was like I don't know what's gonna happen next and I still don't know because, like, my life is very unpredictable. But, um, I think the self-coaching that I do to go back to your question is, I kind of always remind myself that, even at the worst moments and the moments where I was most anxious, I still kind of got there eventually, yeah, and you still went forward.

Bety Tellez Mora: 21:19

You're still moving forward. Yeah, okay, yeah.

Judy Oskam : 21:23

Good, well, look ahead five years. What are you thinking and how do you plan? Do you plan every year or how much do you plan personally and professionally?

Bety Tellez Mora: 21:36

I think I kind of stopped doing the well, to be honest, I don't think I've ever been able to do like the five-year plan, because ever since I was well, actually my whole life with living abroad my mom and I never really knew where we were going to be in like a couple years because her work was kind of unpredictable in that way.

Bety Tellez Mora: 21:54

So I knew that I was going to finish high school in Rome, like I think that was kind of a given. But then after that, obviously I went to university and I knew that I had like at least four years where I was going to be in that town at that uni. So that was kind of easy to plan, I suppose. But then I did my master's and I was like, okay, well, that's another year, so I can look forward to that year and plan for that year, but not much beyond that. And then after that that threw me into like a crisis because I was like I don't know what's next and also, for context, as I said, my fiance at the time was in Scotland, my mom was living in Athens, so going back to Mexico didn't feel like. I didn't feel like I had a place there, my brother's there and I love my brother, but my life was all over the place, all around the world.

Judy Oskam : 22:37

So you're really an international person woman. Yeah, I mean really so. If you were to embrace that as part of your story, and it unfolds as as opportunities arise. But the fact that you are adapt at living wherever you are is amazing. It's just really an amazing. I could see a book in that. I mean how, how can you adapt wherever you are and keep moving forward? And that forward doesn't need to be a linear path, so life is not linear.

Bety Tellez Mora: 23:11

Yeah, and I think that's something that's quite important. That I've learned, especially from that period between my master's in the politics master and then to where I am now, is that I didn't finish studying and get a job. You know, I finished studying, then I had to have a moment to figure out what was next. Then I had to go back to university and make the most of that and really embrace all the vocational opportunities, knowing that like that is what I needed the most, rather than straight A's, and then I ended up with this job, but it wasn't like from A to B, and that kind of gives me a little bit of comfort, because I know that in the future, if I have to go back to the drawing board, I will probably be fine.

Judy Oskam : 23:54

Yes, yes, if you get knocked down, you'll get back up and your life might go so many different directions. But how much does travel help you, uh, be adaptable and understand different cultures? Yeah, um, I think, as I said, for me, for example, I used to kind of not resent my mom personally but our lifestyle because it was like I wanted to not change, you know where I was and, yeah, your friends, you've got friends there and you're a kid and you don't want to leave them.

Bety Tellez Mora: 24:27

Yeah, and I remember my cousin at the time. She was trying to comfort me but you're going to learn a new language and I was like I don't care about learning.

Judy Oskam : 24:34

Italian.

Bety Tellez Mora: 24:35

Whereas now it's like I love that language. I love that when I go back to Italy I can speak it.

Judy Oskam : 24:39

You speak Spanish, italian and English. Oh my gosh.

Bety Tellez Mora: 24:44

And so, yeah, it's a beautiful thing because Italy is one of my favorite countries, it's one of my mom's favorite countries, we have a lot of emotional attachment to it because we lived there for so long, and so being able to go back and speak the language, it's just. I think you experience culture of different when you know the lingo and the slang. Sure, so it's been actually a really a really nice thing.

Judy Oskam : 25:08

But yeah, well, and I think you've been so gracious to work with our students and I know you're for the listeners. Our students have pitched Betty some social media ideas and you've been gracious to connect with them and give them some guidance and all of that. And they're traveling and for some of them the first time the first time they've traveled internationally. So what advice would you give people who travel here to Scotland? They found that the people here are just fantastic.

Bety Tellez Mora: 25:38

Yeah Well, I think, as Lynn mentioned in that talk, I think they're already doing the right thing by having exposed themselves to this opportunity and I think that's really brave and really um, it is brave yeah, it is brave yeah yeah, um, I actually remember like I wanted to do a study abroad semester, but in the end I think the choice was between the internship semester and the study abroad.

Bety Tellez Mora: 26:01

And I remember I think I kind of wanted to go for the internship but the idea of studying abroad kind of terrified me, even though in theory I am studying abroad.

Judy Oskam : 26:08

You are living abroad and studying at the same time.

Bety Tellez Mora: 26:10

Yeah, but it was. It was kind of like I do have a lot of respect for people that kind of put themselves in that position where they're going to be gone for, you know, by complete by themselves, leaving everything you know behind for a short period of time. But yeah, I think the the advice I I would give them is just to, as I said, take advantage of every opportunity. So I think that you know the fact that they're pitching ideas to me and like getting to understand how you know different institutions, different organizations, might have different approaches to you know, for instance, one of your students suggested an idea that I was like this is really good, but actually from our perspective, we would prefer this as opposed to what you're suggesting.

Judy Oskam : 26:46

I saw that.

Bety Tellez Mora: 26:47

Yeah, that was a good teachable moment there yeah it's good for them to kind of expose themselves to those scenarios and those situations. But I have to say I was very inspired by your students, because I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that I've not been Arthur's seat yet.

Judy Oskam : 27:01

Me neither. I don't know if I can make it,

Bety Tellez Mora: 27:06

So I mean, I've been living in . for less than that, but still, yeah, and I was like the fact that they'd only been here.

Judy Oskam : 27:12

What a couple of days a week or something, some with, I think, the very first day. I was like I was really inspired by that, so yes, you know, yes, I I am very impressed with this group they have. They have worked together well and they've gone out and met people in the community and businesses and talked to businesses. They've met you guys and it's been a really fun experience. And two of them told me which I didn't know that they really thought right before the trip they weren't going to go.

Judy Oskam : 27:39

Oh, really they thought they might just bail out and not go. They were just scared.

Bety Tellez Mora: 27:44

I know that feeling so well of agreeing to do something. But you're like, okay, what would be my exit plan if I need to Right and sometimes I don't think I've ever actually done that. But the very thought, the idea of like, what's my backup plan if I last minute decide I don't want to do it. But I think again, that's really important that they realize I was in a position where I almost didn't go, but I did anyway, and that's that's something that they should be very proud of.

Judy Oskam : 28:10

I think so too. And to get on a plane. And one student said the hardest part of this trip so far is just getting here yeah because they had to travel nine hours on the plane by themselves yeah, and then arrive in a new land.

Bety Tellez Mora: 28:24

Now, luckily, English is the common language here but the accent's a little bit hard sometimes, so the accent's a little hard to understand sometimes, but I think it's been a fun experience.

Judy Oskam : 28:37

But your team has been great and we've been following your social media and how do you hope to shape that social media presence moving forward? How do you, how do you hope to shape that, that social media presence moving forward? What are you thinking?

Bety Tellez Mora: 28:50

There's loads of things that I would love to do, but the one of, I think, the biggest challenges and something that I would really like to work towards is being able to include all the different aspects of the university in a way that's cohesive, because there's so many good things that are being done at the uni in terms of research, different courses, different students doing a lot of interesting things and extracurricular things that, like, no one's asking them to do, but they do it because they find it interesting and rewarding and stuff, and so there's a lot of good stories to tell. But it's finding that balance of. We want to include what you're doing, we want to share your story, but also it has to be brand compliant, it has to fit in with the look and feel of the social media and our website and our brand and stuff, and that can be quite hard and time consuming to do.

Bety Tellez Mora: 29:36

So that is something that I would say I definitely want to focus more, especially over the next year, and so is making sure people feel like they can come up to us as a team and say this is happening and we're very proud of this and we want to share it with the university and other people to support them and um, but again, in a way that kind of strikes that balance of you know, we have to be brand compliant and and and follow our guidelines and have our brand colors and all that kind of stuff. And, yeah, just making sure that people feel like they're included and we want to feature them.

Judy Oskam : 30:11

Well, and that's the big feel of this university, is you belong, you're included we're all together yeah. I think that's sort of part of the culture here.

Bety Tellez Mora: 30:19

Yeah, and I have that experience as a student and also a staff. Oh, that's good to hear, because I love that about coming here. This is the smallest uni out of the three that I went to, so it was really a very cozy, comfortable feeling coming in and I feel like once you go to know everyone, it was just, it felt like I know it sounds really cheesy, but it felt like very at home. Yeah, like I just just. I was always very comfortable here. Um, I never had any feelings of like anxiety or like oh, I don't want to make a fool of myself because the classes were so small, we all got to know each other.

Bety Tellez Mora: 30:53

Yeah, we're all we had really good relationships with our lecturers, um, so that was really really lovely. And I remember towards the beginning of that class of that course, thinking like, oh, I think it was probably gonna be, it would be really nice to work here, not thinking at all that it would actually happen for me. Um, but yeah, I, I just loved that as a student. I think most people had a really positive student, a positive experience, um, and then when I got the job, I was so relieved to find out that it was very similar like nice again, just because it's a small uni, and obviously I was probably an advantage because I knew people from when I was a student, so my former lecturers were now my colleagues, you know things like that. But it's still that very small campus family kind of vibe and it's really lovely. When you come into the office, you like constantly bump into people that you know, have a chat and yeah, I feel like we all kind of know each other.

Judy Oskam : 31:46

I love that. I love that Well, and you manifested your future in a way and there's a lot to be said for putting things out there in the universe and it comes back to you and I just think I just can't wait to see what you're going to do next with your combination of your travel and all of that makes for a real interesting life.

Bety Tellez Mora: 32:09

I think that's very kind. Yeah, I think, as I said, it's just all about like trying things even when you are not sure or when you think that you might not be the right fit, or just. I'm really trying to embrace that because it's easier to say.

Judy Oskam : 32:23

But it's easy to say no, yeah, yeah, but I'm still trying to embrace that myself.

Bety Tellez Mora: 32:26

In's easier to say, but it's easy to say no, yeah, yeah, but I'm still trying to embrace that myself in like my everyday life. I'm just exposing myself to as many opportunities as possible. Couldn't you know being here on your podcast yes, you could have said no you could have said no, yeah, but I, I, just, I'm, I'm really trying to embrace and experiencing as many things as possible?

Judy Oskam : 32:43

I love Well, thank you for saying yes.

Bety Tellez Mora: 32:45

Yeah, thank you for having me on Of course, Thank you.

Judy Oskam : 32:48

Thanks so much for joining us on Stories of Change and Creativity Scotland edition. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure and follow the podcast and give us a like and a review. It really helps more listeners discover these inspiring stories. Thanks for listening.