��Ʒ���˸�������

New York Giants social media manager Emma Kaptein ’13 completed her broadcasting degree on the cusp of seismic changes in the industry. “The media role has changed dramatically in the last 10 years,” Kaptein says, emphasizing that TikTok and Instagram reels didn’t exist when she was in school. “You have to be willing to adapt,” she says.

She’s now in her 11th season with the franchise, keeping pace with the dynamic field. “It is an amazing organization,” she says. “I worked hard to lock in my internship there and did everything I could to stay beyond that.”

The pivotal internship, which she landed in her junior year at Montclair, opened the door to her career and united her passions for sports – in particular football – and broadcasting.

Putting into play a comprehensive digital marketing program, Kaptein is leading the team’s social media strategy on seven digital platforms, with the help of a social media coordinator and the support of as many as 25 production and design professionals. “We have weekly brainstorming meetings where everyone, from interns on up, gets to pitch new ideas,” she says. “We also engage a wide range of influencers to create additional content.”

On game days, however, it is Kaptein, the social media coordinator and the social media intern in charge of posts. “It gets pretty intense,” she says with a laugh.

In addition to the career services support she received at Montclair – especially when she was pursuing internships – and the leadership skills she gained as a member of Theta Kappa Chi, Kaptein is grateful for the hands-on projects assigned in her classes. “I wasn’t able to study digital marketing – it wasn’t even a thing yet – but I learned how to dig in and get things done,” she says.

It is a perspective that Kaptein now shares with current Montclair students through her work as a volunteer mentor for the School of Communication and Media. “I’m in my second year as a mentor,” she says. “I help students set goals and give them guidance as they build their resumes. It is very rewarding.”

–Michele Hickey