Some students discover their career path in a classroom. Others find it through internships or mentors.
For Macy Hendin-Walker, the spark came much earlier. With a used iPhone, a curiosity about social media, and a willingness to try every new platform that came along.
Today, that early interest is shaping a future in sports media and marketing.
Macy was 14 years old when she got her first smartphone, a hand-me-down iPhone 4 from her aunt. It didn’t take long for her to put it to use. Within minutes, she logged into an Instagram account she had created two years earlier on her iPad.
From that moment on, social media became second nature.
She grew up during the era of Vine and Musical.ly, platforms that paved the way for what we now know as TikTok and Instagram Reels. Vine’s six-second videos and Musical.ly’s lip-sync trends were everywhere at the time.
Looking back, Macy laughs at some of those early trends and admits a few of them make her “cringe” today. But growing up alongside those platforms gave her something valuable: an instinct for how social media evolves.
“I’ve always been there with the apps,” Macy says. “I’ve always been there with the changes. I’ve always been open to change with social media.”
While many professionals describe the social media world as exhausting because it evolves so quickly, Macy sees something different.
Opportunity.
She has always been someone willing to say yes to trying something new online. A new feature, a new trend, or a new platform simply means another chance to experiment and learn.
That mindset has become one of her greatest strengths.
When I first came here, everyone was all smiles. I mean really big, open smile. I thought I might have to hold back a little, being from England. But I could instantly be myself here. I knew I was home.
Macy grew up in a small town in England, so moving to the United States for college was a big step. Like many international students, she was stepping into an entirely new environment.
But when she arrived at Goldey-Beacom College, she immediately felt at ease.
“When I first came here, everyone was all smiles. I mean really big, open smiles,” she says. “I felt comfortable immediately because everyone welcomed me right away.”
She came to GBC as a member of the women’s tennis team, and the shared experience of practices, matches, and travel helped her quickly build friendships on campus. What started with teammates soon expanded to friendships with athletes from other teams and students across the college.
“I thought I might have to hold back a little, being from England,” Macy explains. “But I could instantly be myself here. I knew I was home.”
That welcoming environment is something many students experience at GBC. A close-knit campus means people notice you, professors know your name, and friendships form quickly.
For Macy, that sense of belonging made all the difference.
Starting college is a major life change. Starting college in another country adds an entirely new layer of adjustment.
For Macy, attending a small college made that transition smoother.
“Coming to a small school helped me adapt since I was coming from a different country,” she says.
Instead of feeling lost among thousands of students, she found herself surrounded by a supportive community that made it easier to settle in and grow.
That supportive environment also gave her the confidence to explore beyond campus. During her first month at GBC, Macy visited four different cities, eager to experience as much of the United States as possible while studying here.
With GBC as her home base, she could branch out and explore new places while still having a community waiting for her when she returned.
Eventually, that sense of belonging became so strong that something surprising happened.
“When I went back to England for the winter holidays, it almost felt strange,” Macy says. “Everyone’s life there had moved forward while I was in America. And I realized England wasn’t really my home anymore. GBC was.”
She even found herself feeling homesick for campus.
Macy graduated in May 2025 with her bachelor’s degree in Sports Management. But she was not ready to leave GBC behind.
Instead, she returned to campus to pursue her MBA with a concentration in International Business.
Her long-term goal is to work in media for the Women’s Tennis Association, helping professional athletes connect with fans and share their stories through social media.
It is a career that combines several of her passions: sports, storytelling, and digital media.
Her graduate assistantship with GBC’s Residence Life team is already helping her build that experience. In this role, Macy manages social media accounts, creates content, and promotes campus events, often capturing moments from student life and turning them into engaging posts for the GBC community.
At the same time, her graduate classes continue to sharpen her strategic thinking.
Marketing projects often involve feedback from classmates, giving students the chance to test ideas, refine their approach, and hear new perspectives before launching a campaign.
That combination of classroom learning and real-world experience is exactly what prepares GBC students for their careers.
If there is one theme that runs through Macy’s story, it is her willingness to say yes.
Yes to new technology. Yes to new platforms. Yes to moving across the world for college.
Each step helped her grow both personally and professionally.
“You get what you give on social media,” Macy says.
For Macy Hendin-Walker, the skills she started building as a teenager experimenting with social media are now opening doors in the sports world.
And with the support of the GBC community behind her, she is just getting started.
Goldey-Beacom College is a Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
Text Telephone/Teletypewriter (TTY) Relay Service: 711 or 800-232-5460 for English or 877-335-7595 for Spanish
