Tending Community: The Person Behind the Post
By Perris Reed on September 04, 2026 from Tending Community
Most people who know me know that I am pretty high up on the list of someone you probably should NOT put in charge of social media. Of all the things that came with this position, I said from day one that social media caused me the most stress. It is just not my cup of tea. I will always do my best, and I know my limits.
So when I started asking around about finding a social media intern for BFM2, I had no idea that a few random connections would lead me to one of my favorite people.
A friend of mine, Katie Willard, who owns The Social Bee Marketing Agency, connected me with a professor at Fairmont State, who connected me with Reese Morris. And man, am I glad all of those dots connected.
Reese is a 2024 graduate of North Marion High School and is currently studying Business Marketing at Fairmont State University. She joined us this season as our social media intern, and from the first time we met in person at Stone Tower in Bridgeport, I knew she was the right fit.
Now, as I write this, I do wonder what her first impression of me was. Reese? During those early months, I was feeling a little like a small ship in incredibly rough seas and she hopped right on the boat.
I can easily say that Reese has far exceeded my expectations.
Reese is fantastic at social media and that is great for the market, but that has nothing to do with why I enjoy having her around. She and I communicate comically well. There have been plenty of times when I call her with a half-formed thought, and before I can even finish explaining it, she is already two steps ahead of me.
Which is particularly helpful because I am usually still trying to figure out what the heck I was trying to say in the first place.
She has come to my house several times to work. I love to cook, and Reese has become a willing participant in whatever I decide to make. There is something special about sitting down and sharing a meal with someone. We get a lot accomplished, but we also end up talking, laughing and learning more about each other. Somewhere along the way, this internship became much more than someone helping me keep up with Instagram and Facebook...and now TikTok, which I know approximately -100% about.
Reese has brought a really fresh perspective to BFM2. She understands social media in a way I simply don't, and she has been willing to jump into the chaos of a transitional year and figure things out with me.
She has also reminded me that sometimes the best part of working with someone isn't just what they bring to the job. It's who they are while they're doing it.
Thank you Katie for making that first connection, and to Fairmont State for helping put Reese on my radar, and mostly THANK YOU Reese for hoping on the boat.
I started looking for someone to help me with social media and ended up with a really talented intern, a great sounding board, and one of my favorite people to laugh with.
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