Nicole Hefner

What part of your job brings you the most joy?

Reviewing UPPSs is pretty rewarding. (No, I can’t say that with a straight face.)

I love working with words, so anytime I get to dive in and review copy — from a few words in an ad to a few hundred in a Hillviews article — is when I’m happiest.

What makes working within Marcomm so meaningful to you?

Texas State is a special place, and the university’s work is incredibly important. What we do here — research, education, building a community — matters. Doing our part to put the spotlight on TXST and make sure people know about the good work Bobcats are doing in their communities is very meaningful to me.

What’s something about your job that makes you feel proud?

Doing it well. Honestly, if I’ve done my job right, no one outside our division should even know I exist. If someone’s asking “Who edited this?!” it’s probably not a good thing.

What inspires you when you come to work each day?

My co-workers. They’re incredible, not only some of the most talented people I’ve ever worked with, but also some of the best folks to spend time with. They inspire me to do my best work, and they make getting through the day that much easier.

What’s your favorite part of collaborating with colleagues?

Creating something with another person is just fun, especially when you have a chance to focus on the details — maybe it’s working with a designer to figure out which punctuation style looks best in a headline, or maybe it’s going back and forth with a writer to find just the right word for a sentence, or maybe it’s just confirming a detail or fact. Not everyone who sees our work will notice these little things, but they matter.

What’s one project you loved being a part of?

TXST 125, the university’s 125th anniversary campaign, was an amazing experience. A ton of research, writing, and editing went into it, and digging into the history of this place and all the people who shaped what Texas State is today was inspiring and humbling — and occasionally pretty amusing.

What accomplishment at TXST has meant the most to you?

I can’t point to a single thing and go, “That’s it, that’s the thing.” It’s more the day-to-day experience of working on a team that consistently creates outstanding work, the cumulative experience of the last 10 years, that means the most to me. I’m a better editor and a better person now than I was 10 years ago, and I think that’s largely thanks to the people I’ve worked with at TXST.