How a Love for Esports and Social Media Led Haley Evrard to Fisher College

Meet Haley Evrard. She is a marketing major with a concentration in digital marketing. Haley is from Niagara Falls, New York, and is currently pursuing her degree as an online student at Fisher College. She joined our online program in January 2024, after our Esports Assistant Director, Aaron Colaiacomo, reached out to her following a candid post she made on X (formerly Twitter) about facing career challenges. Their conversation ultimately led her to apply to Fisher College and commit to our online program.

Haley had positions working with well-known Overwatch League teams including Toronto Defiant and New York Excelsior before enrolling at Fisher College. Haley's passion for social media came from her drive to raise awareness of the game and widen the path to the professional scene. “I had so much passion for Overwatch and the path to the pro scene. I wanted to make content to help grow the scene. I saw how other esports titles were so popular and Overwatch was sinking. I never wanted that for my favorite game. I noticed that not a lot of esports teams in the Overwatch scene utilized TikTok and I saw an opportunity to change that.” Once she found her niche in social media it opened her job opportunities. She got a job at Toronto Defiant as a short-form content creator and over the course of 10 months she curated a 123.68% growth rate and gained 93.5K new followers on TikTok for Toronto Defiant which made them the most followed esports team in the Overwatch League! Unfortunately, her journey at Toronto Defiant was cut short by layoffs contributing to Haley’s career challenges before coming to Fisher. 

Being an online student at Fisher College has its perks, as Haley Evrard says "I enjoy doing online school. I’m able to do my work on my own time. It allows me to have flexible hours for my job." This flexibility enables her to effectively balance coursework with her job now of working at a grocery store. Additionally, Haley helps homeschool her cousin, stating, "I help homeschool my cousin who’s in 6th grade! She also loves video games, so I try to make her schoolwork as enjoyable as possible through games." Fisher College's online platform provides Haley with the freedom to tailor her schedule to accommodate her personal needs and responsibilities.

Haley looked back on her journey before coming to Fisher and said, "I was originally going to college for a degree I didn’t want. I was an early education major. Although I enjoy homeschooling my cousin, esports, and social media have always been my biggest passions. I’m happy I chose the path I did and ended up where I am today with a successful background and pursuing a degree that will hopefully land me my dream job."

Looking ahead, Haley's aspirations extend beyond graduation. She envisions a future where she can contribute meaningfully to her favorite gaming communities. Whether it's becoming a social media manager for iconic titles like Overwatch or Valorant, Haley remains determined in her pursuit of her dream job.