Marketing
Amelia Hewson '23
Why did you decide to study marketing?
I decided to study marketing after an internship I did in high school. It all seemed second nature to me, so I knew that it was something that I wanted to pursue and learn more about. It is definitely my calling!
What are some of your favorite classes so far?
Marketing with Edna Ndichu has been my favorite class so far! In the class, we covered all the basics of marketing and applied them to things we see in our daily lives.
Tell us about a unique experience or project you've worked on for your major.
My final project for my marketing class was on Apple AirPods, which required us to dive deeper into the product's marketing strategy and examine the product's success as well as its shortcomings. Now, whenever I see a new product, I think a lot about the company's marketing strategy!
What advice would you give to someone thinking about majoring in marketing?
My best advice would be to think of your classes as if they were jobs, and to give your best effort on each assignment just like you would in a job. A marketing major is very versatile and is extremely valuable in the business world. No matter what your interests are, in an increasingly digital world a marketing major is useful in a wide range of jobs.
What's your dream job?
My dream job would be a managerial or marketing position at an organization involving animals. Combining my passions of marketing, business management and animals is a goal of mine!
Who has been an important connection for you at Whitworth, and why?
Edna Ndichu has been an important person in my Whitworth experience, since she has served as both my advisor and my professor. She has been a great help in putting together good schedules and has been a great teacher who has driven my passion for marketing.
Why did you choose to attend Whitworth?
I chose Whitworth because it checked all my boxes. It has an amazing business program, a great track team, it's close to home (Seattle), and has a strong community with Christian values that I feel connected with.
What is something that has surprised you about your major?
Something that surprised me about my business administration major is how easy it is to have multiple concentrations within the major. I easily added a management concentration to my four-year plan, which only requires a few additional classes outside of my marketing concentration.
Jorge Medina '22
Why did you decide to study marketing?
I originally began my time here at Whitworth as a computer science major with a business minor, yet I found myself consistently drawn to the business classes I was taking at the time and soon after my first semester I changed my major to business administration. After taking more business courses, I was drawn to marketing as it allowed me the chance to embrace my love for business and my love for creativity.
What are some of your favorite classes so far?
One of my favorite classes at Whitworth so far has been my Integrated Marketing Communications class. This class offered a very hands-on approach to learning about the marketing process and provided many opportunities to create advertisements in various mediums. This class gave me a glimpse of what marketing is really like in the real world and was a great way to apply the marketing principles I have been learning about here at Whitworth.
Tell us about a unique experience or project you've worked on for your major.
For a group project in one of my marketing classes we were tasked with creating a video advertisement for a company. My group decided to create our advertisement for Sweet Frostings, a local cupcake bakery, and so we were able to film and edit a commercial from the ground up with a business that we were all familiar with.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about majoring in marketing?
A piece of advice I would give to someone who is considering majoring in marketing would be to definitely try it by at least taking one or two marketing classes and seeing whether that speaks to you or not.
What's your dream job?
As someone who has a very entrepreneurial spirit, my dream job would be to own my own business, and so I hope that one day I am able to combine this dream of owning a business with something in the marketing field.
Who has been an important connection for you at Whitworth, and why?
Someone who has been extremely influential during my time at Whitworth would be Professor David Sloan, who I have had classes with and who is also my advisor. I consulted with Professor Sloan when I was first considering switching to a marketing major, and he was extremely helpful in providing insight and clarity to my decision. Since then, he has always been an open ear for any issue or concern that I've discussed with him and is always more than willing to offer up his time despite the various other commitments he may have going on.
Why did you choose to attend Whitworth?
I chose to attend Whitworth after one of the campus visits that I attended. As I spent time on campus, I began to imagine myself as a student here and it truly felt like it was the right choice for me. Not only that, but everyone during my time on campus was so welcoming and friendly that it really showed me the kind of environment that there is on campus and I loved it!
Rachel Vangel '22
Why did you decide to study marketing?
After my first two years at Whitworth, I changed my studies from biology to business management, and then to marketing. While this change was unexpected, it was the greatest decision of my college experience thus far. As someone who works better in a group atmosphere, marketing seemed like a more ideal fit, as I felt that it would be able to improve my communication skills, learn how to use a diversity of perspectives to a group advantage, learn how to interpret data and make decisions, and thoroughly learn techniques that I would be able to use in real-world scenarios. Those aspects have driven me to pursue my creative abilities while having strong business familiarity that will help me to solve internal and external challenges.
What are some of your favorite classes so far?
The courses I have taken within Whitworth's School of Business have felt more like conversations rather than lectures as these courses have taught me to have in-depth conversations with my peers and professors. One of my favorite courses has been Marketing with Professor David Sloan. This course introduces to you to the ins and outs of marketing through brand familiarity, the purchase process, and types of consumer buying decisions. This course sharpens your awareness of what happens during the average consumers' lives. David makes this course encouraging as he welcomes you into class with a friendly attitude, while incorporating your ideas into lectures, making it more personalized to your learning experience, which really helped me to retain information. Another favorite course would be International Business with Professor Todd Friends. This class teaches you the complexity of doing business internationally, as businesses often face economic issues in an international environment. Todd introduces global marketing and how history, politics, religion, gender and culture can influence international business decisions. This course interested me because international business is a part of our everyday lives as we import and export goods daily.
Tell us about a unique experience or project you've worked on for your major.
A unique project that I have worked on was a business proposal in Organizational Behavior taught by Professor Craig Hinnenkamp. This project places you in the perspective of someone who is looking to improve a variety of aspects within this business. I enjoyed this project because it welcomes diversity.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about majoring in marketing?
One piece of advice I would recommend to someone thinking about majoring in marketing is, JUST GO FOR IT! Marketing prepares students for careers in business, as I now feel more confident in presenting, public speaking, making decisions, managing my time well. Once you begin marketing classes, connect with your professors and peers. This is something Addie Grow, the assistant director of internships & external relations, taught me, as connections are a huge part of marketing. Meaningful connections can come from conversations with those who have shared interests and goals. You would be surprised how far someone's word can go; your professors would encourage this as it only can strengthen your credibility.
What's your dream job?
I think my dream job would be event planning for a large firm. I specify that it is a firm because I would prefer working in a team rather than doing independent contracting. I would enjoy working with a group of people that could offer a variety of ideas toward planning and marketing business events. This job is something that would allow me to tap into my creative abilities, while being tasked with a set focus.
Who has been an important connection for you at Whitworth, and why?
Addie Grow, assistant director of internships & external relations, is someone who has been a generous mentor towards me. She has always encouraged me to go for internships and job opportunities regardless of whether I have all the qualifications or not. Addie wishes nothing but success for her students, as she provides all the necessary resources for students who are getting close to entering the workforce after college. She continuously finds opportunities for us to be noticed by local employers, helping us to build connections for future reference. With that, Addie helped introduce me to Whitworth's School of Business and all that it has to offer, I would never be able to navigate all of the opportunities that are offered without her reminders and nudges to just go for it.
How would you describe Whitworth?
I would describe Whitworth as a community, where open minds and diverse opinions are welcomed and encouraged. Whitworth is a place that adapts to its student's needs, and I feel that is important to recognize as we all have different learning techniques and struggle from our individual academic challenges.