Gaby Reyes ’18 hopes to use her passion for social justice to make an impact on society.
At a glance
The advertising and communication studies double major served as a multicultural organizations senator for the UGA Student Government Association (SGA).
Gaby was the recipient of the William I. Ray Jr. Scholarship and the Goizueta Foundation Opportunity Scholarship.
In addition to SGA, she has been involved in Road Dawgs, an organization that visits high schools in underserved communities to encourage them to apply to UGA.
Gaby plans to enter the social impact marketing field, where she hopes to use her experiences from UGA and Google to make a difference in the social sector.
“When I got an email from UGA saying that I received the Goizueta Foundation Scholarship, I told myself ‘wow, this might actually be possible.’”
Gaby Reyes ’18
Gaby Reyes is passionate about giving a voice to those in underrepresented communities. The advertising and communication studies double major served as a multicultural organizations senator for the UGA Student Government Association (SGA). By giving voice to other students, she found hers—something that would not have been possible without scholarships.
The Johns Creek High School graduate had her eyes set on UGA, but she knew it would take more than HOPE to make it possible. She was thrilled when she found out that she was the recipient of the Goizueta Foundation Opportunity Scholarship, which is awarded to students who are fluent in Spanish and demonstrate financial need.
“I saw that UGA has the No. 2 journalism school in the country. It came down to a decision between UGA and another school, the difference maker was finances,” Gaby said. “When I got an email from UGA saying that I received the Goizueta Foundation Scholarship, I told myself ‘wow, this might actually be possible.’”
When Gaby arrived on campus, she immediately got involved with SGA, and eventually ran for vice president. Though she did not win, the experience proved invaluable.
“We talked about topics ranging from student fees to mental health and diversity on campus,” Gaby said. “I was scared out of my mind beforehand, but when I got up there, I was so passionate about the things that I was saying that it just came out so naturally.”
In addition to SGA, she has been involved in Road Dawgs, an organization that visits high schools in underserved communities in Metro Atlanta, Laurens County and Twiggs County to meet and mingle with prospective students and encourage them to apply to UGA. She is an ambassador for the Office of Admissions’ Goizueta Ambassador Program, giving tours to middle school students who visit UGA’s campus, and vice president of the Hispanic Student Association. Gaby has also served as the social media chair for The Chapel Bell: A Positive Press Publication at UGA.
Gaby participated in a Google Bold internship last summer.
Gaby worked on a service project at Google as a part of their corporate social responsibility efforts.
Gaby recognized the power of advertising to influence social change, and from her first advertising class at UGA, she knew it was the field for her. During her junior year, she received the William I. Ray Jr. Scholarship, which provides support to students enrolled in Grady.
“I believe advertising is absolutely a path to influence social justice,” Gaby said. “Advertising is ubiquitous, and the images we see affect the way we think about the world. Advertising isn’t just selling products or services. It’s selling an idea about how the world is, or should be.”
In 2016, she landed a Google Bold internship, one of the most coveted and sought-after internship opportunities in the world. At Google, she worked with high-value advertisers, helping them optimize their Google Analytics, Google Advertise and Google Merchant Center accounts. She will return to Google in July for full-time work.
“Google is constantly revered as one of the best places to work,” Gaby said. “Thanks to Google, I now have many great opportunities in front of me – both within the company and in my career.”
Gaby hopes to enter the social impact marketing field, where she hopes to use her experiences from UGA and Google to make a difference in the social sector.
“That’s why I am so proud to be able to work for Google. They have consistently used their platform to bring awareness to important issues, empower marginalized groups, and share the stories that deserve to be told.”
