From Campus to Coastline: Alumna builds career in tourism marketing for South Padre Island

By Elijah Noriega

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – AUG. 13, 2026 – Long before she promoted South Padre Island to visitors across Texas and northern Mexico, Dennise Hernandez was one of those visitors.

Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, family trips to the island made it one of her favorite places. Today, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley alumna helps shape how thousands of visitors experience the Texas Gulf Coast as the social media and international affairs specialist for Visit South Padre Island, the island’s official tourism and convention and visitors bureau.

In her role, Hernandez creates digital content, develops marketing campaigns and partners with local business and media outlets to promote the island year-round.

“If I’m not out and about on the island looking for content and promoting our local businesses and attractions, I’m hosting interviews so our visitors know what we have going on every month,” Hernandez said. “There's always something to look forward to.”

Hernandez earned her bachelor’s degree in mass communication with a concentration in advertising and public relations before continuing into UTRGV's Master of Business Administration program. She said marketing appealed to her because the field is constantly evolving and encourages creativity while adapting to changing consumer trends.

“I always said that I never wanted to be doing the same thing every day, and I believe marketing provides a dynamic environment that’s engaging enough to keep my creativity going,” she said.

While pursuing graduate school, Hernandez frequently searched the UTRGV Career Center website for marketing and communications positions. It was there that she discovered the opening that launched her professional career.

Hernandez credits much of her professional success to experiences beyond the classroom. Through student organizations, campus employment and volunteer work, she developed leadership, communication and networking skills that continue to shape her career.

One of those experiences came in 2019 when she joined UTRGV’s Street Team within the Division of University Marketing and Communications, helping manage social media accounts and create content highlighting campus life.

“Helping manage the official UTRGV and UTRGV Street Team social media accounts gave me the perfect balance of sharing the fun that was available around campus while maintaining the official image of an institution,” she said. “That experience pushed me further to pursue a career in marketing.”

She also credits faculty mentors and university staff for encouraging her to pursue opportunities beyond academics, including volunteering with nonprofit organizations across the Rio Grande Valley.

Working for Visit South Padre Island allowed Hernandez to combine her education with a place that has long been part of her life.

“I found what I wanted to do in this job,” she said. “I thought it was a nice match for me to evolve those skills while doing it at a place that I love.”

She said one of the most rewarding parts of her job is helping nonprofit organizations gain greater visibility.

“During my undergraduate years, I volunteered with local RGV nonprofit organizations. I loved the feeling of helping others and helping these organizations take one step closer to their mission,” she said. “Now, I use those lessons to help South Padre Island nonprofits gain more visibility through various marketing efforts. It’s very rewarding to see these organizations earn recognition at the state and national level. Knowing that my work helps amplify their missions has been one of the most meaningful aspects of my career.”

Looking back, Hernandez encourages current and future UTRGV students to get involved early, pursue on-campus jobs and student organizations, and take advantage of university resources like the Career Center to gain real-world experience before graduation.

“UTRGV has a lot of good opportunities and resources, and when students use these resources, they will be a step ahead,” Hernandez said. “Student activities, student organizations and even on-campus jobs give you real-life experience.”

Today, Hernandez has come full circle, building a career promoting the same island she grew up visiting. By helping showcase South Padre Island's businesses and nonprofit organizations, she continues to strengthen the community while applying the skills and experiences she developed at UTRGV.