Weber Dining’s newest marketing manager has inside knowledge of what students may want. Elsa Hassett, a recent Weber State University graduate and former cheerleader for the university, has been working in the Shepherd Union building and has an inside scoop on our students.

“You know, being like our age, we kind of know what people like,” Hassett said.

As an interpersonal and family communications major, Hassett wasn’t aiming for marketing. But while working as a campus recreation employee, she learned how to plan events, leading to an interest in marketing. Jessica Alford, the Weber Dining General Manager, saw this interest and thought she’d be perfect for the marketing manager position, especially as Hassett is a former student.

“I would be lying if I said that Elsa’s history as a student and a student-athlete didn’t help, in terms of me thinking about her as a perfect candidate for this position,” Alford said.

Other than being a former student, certain qualities led Alford to believe Hassett would be the perfect candidate.

“It’s because a student-athlete that is as successful as she is, has had the discipline, they have to be driven, they have to be good [at] time management, they have to be able to juggle a lot,” Alford said. “And as, you know, a successful student and then an elite athlete, she has to have all of the qualities that you would really hope that any employee would have, and so much else can be taught.”

As an elite athlete and a former cheerleader for WSU, Hassett believes she can help boost the number of students who come to the dining room for meals.

“In certain ways, because I have, like, a community here already,” Hassett said. “I’m like, Hey, come to this thing. So I can kind of get, like, a little bit more business for dining and, like, get people at the events that we’re doing.”

Adding more business for dining and having a freshly graduated student working in the dining room has also helped promote social media posts to encourage more people and students to attend events.

“When I, in my old age, asked her questions, like, you know, what do you think the students would respond to? I can count on her to have a valid and recent experience with respect to that can help guide whatever that is,” Alford said.

Not only has working with Hassett helped promote social media and events, but she is described as having all the characteristics of a hard worker.

“She was picking up things so quickly, and what I noticed in particular that I really appreciated was her desire to find out the questions, the answers to her questions,” Alford said.

Hassett has worked with the rest of the Weber Dining team to create a good environment for students who do eat on campus and to increase the awareness of options that Weber Dining provides.

“It’s always our number one goal to to make the students happy and to be a good part of their day to be a positive part of their day,” Alford said

Editors note: This story has been updated since Sept. 21