RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Wednesday the hiring of Kristella Cruz as the athletics marketing and digital coordinator.
 
Cruz, a UTRGV graduate, has spent nearly five years working with the athletic department as a part-time creative team member. In this role, Cruz led the creative team on game day, managed social media accounts, and coordinated and shot media days. She also captured, edited, and posted in-game and post-game content for most UTRGV programs.
 
"I'm excited to welcome Kristella to our team in a full-time role," associate athletic director for marketing and strategic initiatives Sara Hernandez said. "Since joining us as an intern during her student years, she's been a key contributor to our department's growth. Her transition to a permanent position feels like a natural next step. I'm proud of her accomplishments and excited to have her creativity and passion on board as we continue to move forward."
 
Cruz has been awarded multiple awards and accolades with UTRGV Athletics including Gold from the American Advertising Awards in 2023 and 2024, and NCAA Baseball Photo of the Week in 2022.
 
"I'm thrilled to officially join the team at UTRGV Athletics," Cruz said. "I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to keep pursuing my passion while taking the next step in my career. I want to give a heartfelt thank you to my supervisors for their unwavering support and belief in me. I can't wait to make history together with UTRGV Athletics. V's up!"
 
During her time with UTRGV Athletics, Cruz co-founded Cookie Vault where she is responsible for managing the social media page, producing interactive stories to increase social engagement, and helped the company gain over 2,000 followers in under two years.
 
Cruz also worked as a freelance photographer for the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 2022 WAC Volleyball Tournament in Edinburg. In this role, she was responsible for photographing the conference tournament and ensured that all team photos were edited and uploaded at the end of each individual match.
 
In May 2020, Cruz graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from UTRGV.

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