Meet Emily Quevedo | Social Media and Marketing Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Quevedo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, how does your business help the community?
Being a part of the Plano East yearbook has been like a backstage pass. It’s not just a book that sits on a shelf. We spend an entire year pulling stories from various students and staff and putting them together for everyone to see and read. As journalists, we aim to grab everyone’s story. And that’s what our book holds: many unique and incredible stories. Our books are filled with the memories of everyone’s smiles, and that’s what we aim for when people receive their book and hold it for the first time in their hands. We can visibly see the joy and excitement when we hand someone their yearbook. Similar to the curiosity of a kid getting a surprise gift, we can see the students’ eagerness to flip through the freshly printed pages. We help our school and city community by letting them know they are heard. When people see us walk around with our cameras, they know that we are from the yearbook organization and are thrilled to have their picture taken. Even when we interview students for the photo we took of them or maybe to feature them in our book, it makes them feel important. Not many teenagers can say they are listened to, which motivates us to ask questions and get to know the person behind the photo.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have had a passion for photography for as long as I can remember, and that’s why I joined Yearbook. But now that I’ve grown in the organization, I can see how it’s more than just taking photos. I learned to sharpen my professional skills, especially as a marketing manager. I became savvy at selling and talking with people on professional grounds. I also learned responsibility, juggling what felt like three different roles as both a marketing manager and social media manager and an editor for Yearbook. At one point, I was in business meetings and phone calls constantly. Still, I had to manage our social media accounts and work on my regular work, like spreads, weekly photos, interviews, and captions. And at first, it was hard, and I felt like I was bombarded with piles of work. Believe it or not, I was a teenager in this day and age that was new to social media and publicizing on the internet. But I dedicated myself to learning the necessary tricks of every trade. I’m proud to say I’m doing my job well. I grew as a marketer, social media manager, and photographer. Along the way, I met some fantastic people who helped me and my team thrive in our roles. The last few months proved that hard work would not fail you, but inconsistency will. And that’s a lesson everyone should know. It, indeed, is a lesson that I learned the hard way. But I’ve come a long way since then, and I’m proud that Yearbook taught me many of the professional skills I use today. I was busy doing something I loved every day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would visit classic hangouts. Places like the train where you can sit for hours going to different places and “people watch.” You can even go to Clyde warren park and picnic, play ping pong, and grab food at a food truck. I also would go to the Perot Museum, the different levels of learning ranging from dinosaurs to rocks and minerals. It’s a great place to get lost. A few blocks from the Perot museum, there is a restaurant called North Italia with delicious food. And on another day, we would have to visit Born Late Records for some vinyl record shopping which is always fun. And the shops at deep Ellum and Greenville are fun to walk through and pop in. Madness games and comics is a comic store that sells loads of memorabilia and extraordinary items. That would be a fun place to lose time in too. Stonebriar mall to shop around would be convenient. Still, the food court’s fantastic Korean corn dogs are also delicious. All the places I listed involve spending, but I’m content with watching and spending time just wandering. If it were with my best friend, I’d be happy laughing with them and spending time with them. But so they aren’t bored and wouldn’t come all this way to do nothing, this is what I’d do.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Being in Yearbook is a team effort. So I want to thank the staff and especially fellow editors of Yearbook for coming together when things aren’t in the best shape and staying together for the fun times. Whether it’s picking up some work for someone or giving rides to events, there is always someone you can count on. And, of course, with Yearbook comes a lot of responsibility and dedication. So I’d also like to thank my family and the families of our staff for putting up with being our “uber driver.” And dealing with our stress when it comes to deadlines or photo events. Thank you for supporting me and supporting us in our passion and choices.

Instagram: photosbyem387 and eastyearbook2023

Image Credits
Cliche Garciano- headshot team photo and lying on the ground photo Mike Birnbaum- book on sofa team photo Emily Quevedo- guitar photo