As the social media strategist for Fresno State, Jenny Toste manages a near-24-7 job. She oversees institutional platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat—and everything in between. But what she loves most of all is telling stories.
A National Merit Scholar who earned a regional Emmy in news, Toste said she wouldn't list those as her most valuable accomplishments.
"Now, I realize that we're not put on this Earth to do a job but to support each other," she said. "So, it's not so much about your title and accomplishments as it is about who you are and how you use your day job to complete your larger mission of helping others."
And Toste loves when her stories do just that – like the March Match Up campaign last year which helped turn a $50,000 donation into $108,000 for the Student Cupboard.
"I'm sort of like an 'in-house reporter,' telling the stories of what makes Fresno State so great, and posting those on social media," she said.
"I'm honored that people still trust me with their story, and I love sharing the incredible impact Fresno State is making in our region, and helping to elevate Fresno and the Valley as a whole."
Toste has been at the University almost two-and-a-half years and is a familiar face to many because she spent a decade as a local news anchor at CBS47and KSEE24.
"I was lucky to get to meet so many amazing people through the news – from politicians to local business owners, charity work, and more – and help share what makes Fresno so great," she said.
As part of her job at Fresno State, Toste monitors campus policies on social media and ensures that the University has uniform branding throughout the hundreds of accounts connected to Fresno State.
At monthly "Social Media Users Group" meetings, she shares best practices, what's working or not working, and the latest trends with other social media users on campus.
"I love that I work in a place that also values lifelong learning and professional development, so I'm growing all the time," she said.
Toste also uses her broadcast skills as an MC for campus and community events.
Even before her career got started, Toste felt an interest in writing stories that count. She grew up in Washington, D.C., where local news was national politics, and she spent high school in San Diego.
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Jenny captures a campus event using her iPad
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She came to Fresno after graduating (summa cum laude) from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she was a University Scholar with emphases in telecommunications, English lit and Spanish lit.
She also interned in New York at “Good Morning, America” and studied in Spain.
When she graduated with her bachelor's degree, she was undecided as to whether she wanted to go to Divinity School or head for the national campaign trail with the dream of White House press secretary.
But a new dream emerged when she met her future husband the second day she was in Fresno (at Fresno State), and she decided to remain here.
She went back to school to get her master's in English literature from Fresno State, juggling waking up at 2 a.m. for her TV job with becoming a new mom. But she describes attending Fresno State as one of the best experiences of her life.
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Jenny MCs the New Student Convocation
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"Our professors in the English Department are incredible," she said. "I loved my classes and working on my thesis with Drs. Jenkins, Beynon and Henson."
At Fresno State, Toste still gets her "news fix" by going to press conferences and covering events on campus carefully.
"When we had the shooting threat, we saw how vital social media is as part of our communication strategy and being able to reach people in real time – and we learned a lot, too," she said.
Half her job is customer service via social media, so when she can help students who are upset or lost, she said it's a great feeling to make their lives easier.
Toste still occasionally fills in as a TV weather anchor in San Francisco. She's also writing a book about her grandmother and has a couple other projects in the works.
"Things really do seem to work out, and that's the magic of life!" she said.
When time permits, Toste loves going to the mountains, playing golf and tennis, skiing, working in her orchard or on home projects, and, of course, writing.
Her husband, Mike, is also a Fresno State grad and works as a high school counselor. Her son, Heath, 8½, is a future Bulldog. The Toste family has two rescue dogs – Buster and Dux.
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