Averett University’s Equestrian Center spent the summer updating facilities and staff to make for the best semester yet. The newest addition to their team is Sara Tromba. Tromba was hired as thesocial media manager for Averett’s equestrian department, and is utilizing her professional photography experience to boost the department’s social media accounts. 

Tromba took over both the Instagram and Facebook pages her senior year at Averett and decided that the sites needed some updates. After spending her senior year running both pages and curating a more interactive audience, she was offered the opportunity to join the staff part time. 

“Everything is about social media in today’s age. It’s much easier to reach a larger audience,” Tromba said. “Marketing the department online via social media rather than going to high school horse shows to get our name out there is a lot easier because we can reach a larger audience.”

The equestrian center also made some adjustments to its facilities, with the newest addition being lockers. Students used to be required to bring large black trunks with them to hold all of their belongings that were set inside of the upper barn. The new lockers are located in a more central location in the main, lower barn, that allows for easier cleaning and ease of access for everyone. Some of the other facility upgrades include new signs and landscaping around the grounds, new footing in the outdoor riding arena, and new mirrors in the dressage arena.

“The lockers are a better way of organizing because you can fit your helmet and boots in there comfortably without them being crushed by other objects,” Erika Neal, a senior equestrian science major, said. “It also makes the barn aisle look cleaner without all of the trunks out, because they get dirty so easily.”

Stay tuned for even more updates coming from the equestrian department by following their Instagram page, @averettu_es, and their Facebook page Averett Equestrian Studies.