Storytelling, Social Media, and Staying Authentic with Ian Fernandez

In this episode of Beach Peeps, CSULB Vice President of Student Affairs Beth Lesen sits down with Ian Fernandez, a film major and the creative mind behind many of the Student Affairs Instagram reels.Ian shares how his passion for storytelling started at a young age and evolved into creating engaging, funny, and sometimes chaotic social media content for campus. From scripting and filming to editing and collaborating with a team, he gives a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to make content that actually stops the scroll.The conversation also dives into Ian’s perspective on creativity in the age of AI. While many students are turning to AI tools, Ian intentionally avoids using them in his creative process, believing that real storytelling comes from human emotion, lived experience, and originality. For him, creativity isn’t something you outsource; it’s something you develop.Ian also reflects on how getting involved on campus, through a student job and creative opportunities, has shaped his college experience and helped him find his path in film and content creation.From social media to storytelling, Ian’s episode is all about staying authentic, taking creative risks, and building something that feels real.