omar castanon

About

As a senior at the University of Houston majoring in Strategic Communication, I am passionate about using storytelling, digital media, and leadership to create meaningful connections and drive student engagement. As a first-generation Hispanic student, I’ve been fortunate to find purpose in building inclusive communities, elevating campus traditions, and advocating for student voices. Over the past four years, I’ve held several leadership and marketing roles across campus, including serving as the Associate Election Commissioner for the Student Government Association and managing social media for events like Comicpalooza and Frontier Fiesta. My work has focused on content strategy, campaign planning, and visual storytelling—efforts that have directly increased engagement and visibility across platforms. Currently, I serve as the President of the Residence Halls Association, where I oversee executive initiatives, Residence Hall Council leaders, and lead large-scale programming efforts that enhance the on-campus living experience. Whether I’m coordinating a student-wide campaign, mentoring emerging leaders, or developing a social media calendar from scratch, I’m driven by the belief that authentic communication can transform communities.

Experience

• SDR Lead Gen · Silicon Society10-01-2025

  - Research and identify qualified leads that match target client profiles to support sales outreach. - Build and maintain lead lists by finding organizations and decision-makers across industries. - Support sales efforts by organizing prospect data and contributing to lead generation activities.

• Social Media And Marketing · Bare boo09-01-2025 – 01-01-2026

  - Develop and implement strategic social media marketing campaigns to enhance brand visibility and engagement. - Analyze social media metrics to assess campaign performance and inform data-driven decision-making. - Collaborate with teams to align social media efforts with broader marketing goals. - Drive follower growth and engagement through innovative and creative approaches. - Planning, development and implementation of marketing strategies - Overseeing promotion of brand and other strategies to acquire and retain customers - Manage any marketing events and campaign

• Marketing & Social Media Intern · Goodspero09-01-2025 – 12-01-2025

  - Developed and executed a targeted, multi-platform social media campaign by applying the AIDA sales model and customer personas to move audiences from awareness to action - Evaluated Generative AI and LLM workflows across the marketing lifecycle, testing tools like Custom ChatGPT for creative brainstorming, OpusClip for content repurposing, and Airtable for tracking performance analytics. - Boosted Instagram account reach by 48.6% through the execution of content plans and the creation of reels that generated 10k+ views - Analyzed platform performance, achieving a peak 11.6% engagement rate on LinkedIn by leveraging AI-assisted copywriting/video editing to tailor messaging for professional audiences. - Captured high-quality videography and photography at live events, managing on-site content production to ensure a consistent visual narrative for post-event social media campaigns

• Brand Ambassador · Beam09-01-2025 – 12-01-2025

  - Represent the brand at activations, engaging 100+ customers weekly to increase product awareness and encourage trial at the point of sale. - Execute product demonstrations and maintain organized displays, ensuring a positive customer experience. - Capture and share in-store content and performance data to support marketing campaigns and evaluate customer engagement trends.

• Ignite Fellow · Teach For America01-01-2023 – 06-01-2025

  - Lead virtual small-group tutoring sessions to support student learning as a Teach For America Ignite Fellow - Collaborate with educators to provide academic support and track student progress - Develop communication, teaching, and leadership skills while helping students achieve academic goals

• Residence Halls Association President · University of Houston04-01-2024 – 05-01-2025

  - Coordinates and executes large-scale on-campus events, having resulted in an increase in participants from 1,265 in FY23 to 3,681 in FY24, a 191% increase with an annual budget of $78,000. - Collaborates with 50 Hall Council members to propose and implement community improvement plans which have included installation of ADA doors and hygiene product receptacles in residence halls

• Metropolitan Volunteer Program Director · University of Houston04-01-2023 – 05-01-2025

  - Directly oversees and supports a team of 11 paid and volunteer student leaders to provide 100+ annual volunteer service events for the student body, with an annual attendance of 1,500+ students. - Builds and maintains positive relationships with over 25 local nonprofits and community partners to connect students with continued service opportunities. - Creates and implements a strategic plan to increase student volunteer retention creating a pipeline to leadership positions with an increase of 42.5% for student leadership roles this past year.

• Assistant Director Frontier Fiesta · University of Houston08-01-2023 – 04-01-2025

  - Promoted Frontier Fiesta the largest student ran festival through diverse mediums, creating marketable materials, and managing social media, expanding outreach within University of Houston and Greater Houston community. - Assisted with Assistant Director and Volunteer programs, contributing to the creation of marketing plans and strategies, fostering engagement, to reach of Frontier Fiesta at University of Houston and in Houston community.

• Assistant Director Homecoming Board · University of Houston08-01-2024 – 12-01-2024

  - Assisted the Director of Court in organizing court interviews, hosting info sessions, and managing court activities during Homecoming Week - Supported the nomination, selection, and announcement process for the Homecoming Court, ensuring deadlines and criteria were met.

• New Student Orientations Student Experience Captain · University of Houston09-01-2023 – 08-01-2024

  - Developed and executed effective outreach strategy utilizing social media, face to face interactions, and informational sessions to recruit orientation team members. - Established guidelines and programs to enhance interaction between orientation leaders and new students. - Managed a cohort of 50 new orientation leaders, offering guidance and constructive feedback to enhance student engagement for 13650 students in Summer 2024.

• Center For Student Involvement Ignite Leadership Program Mentor · University of Houston01-01-2024 – 05-01-2024

  - Fostering personal and leadership development while facilitating connections to campus resources and opportunities. - Served as a role model and liaison for a group of Ignite Mentees, promoting academic and student success while collaborating with program advisors to create an engaging and empowering environment.

• Residence Halls Association National Communications Coordinator · University of Houston04-01-2023 – 04-01-2024

  - Coordinate and execute large-scale on-campus events, resulting in increased student participation, satisfaction, and positive feedback from university administration and staff. - Collaborate with Hall Council members to develop and implement effective programming and legislative initiatives, enhancing overall engagement and satisfaction. - Organize and conduct meetings, coordinate conference delegations, and oversee conference-related committees to ensure effective communication, coordination, and successful outcomes within the Residential Hall Association, spanning state, regional, and national level

• Student Government Association Associate Election Commissioner · University of Houston12-01-2023 – 03-01-2024

  - Assisted in student election activities, managing data for over 100 candidates and 40,000+ student voters while effectively liaising between university administration and candidates/voters. - Managed a four-figure budget and allocated funds for projects, ensuring strategic planning and adherence to the Election Code. - Organized annual Student Government Association Election, authored and updated Election Code, and executed digital marketing strategies to promote student turnout and engagement

• Student Orientation Leader · University of Houston01-01-2023 – 09-01-2023

  As a Student Orientation Leader, I welcomed and guided incoming students and their families through their transition to the University of Houston. In this position, I: - Facilitated small group sessions to foster connections among new students. - Provided peer mentorship and support, addressing student concerns and easing the transition to college life. - Collaborated with a team to create a welcoming and inclusive orientation experience for diverse student backgrounds.

• Metropolitan Volunteer Program Children And Education Chair · University of Houston01-01-2023 – 04-01-2023

  - Coordinated 4–5 monthly service events focused on children and education, totaling over 350 volunteer hours across Houston. - Built and maintained partnerships with 15+ organizations, including MD Anderson and Breakthrough Houston, to support underserved communities. - Created reports and spreadsheets to track project benchmarks. - Compiled special reports and surveys, summarizing, and analyzing data from events.

• Accounts Payable Contact Researcher · Media Source Inc05-01-2023 – 06-01-2023

  - Enhanced accounting records for 320 clients, validating contact details and streamlining accounts payable procedures. - Researched and updated clients’ associations, conducted cold calls outreach to confirm contact information, demonstrating meticulous attention to detail and effective communication skills

• Business Development · Modern Holding Group03-01-2023 – 06-01-2023

  - Conducted research on businesses in various cities within the Florida area, focusing on electronic components or distribution firms to gather market insights and identify potential opportunities. - Enhanced the visibility of Modern Holding Group within the local community and beyond Department: Sales • Level: Specialist Modern Holding Group is a Staffing and Recruiting company. Modern Holding Group is a global full-time staffing firm that helps job seekers attract top talent. They offer a streamlined full cycle recruiting process, guided by expert aquisition solutions, and support job seekers and potential talent. They provide services such as resume writing and interview prep, staffing services, managed services, enterprise services, products and platform

Education

• University of HoustonStrategic Communication

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