Q: What is your major
and what year are you graduating?
I am a business administration major with a concentration in marketing
analytics and a minor in urban studies, graduating in May 2021.
Q: Why did you decide
to pursue the marketing analytics concentration?
When I first got to Northeastern, I knew that studying marketing
principles and how to build consumer relationships was my priority. During my
first co-op, I got a glimpse into the world of data analytics and how numbers
could explain results. It was exciting to track the impact of marketing
campaigns and learn how to visualize data. After taking my first marketing
analytics course with Professor Kwong Chan, I realized that
merging my previous interests in understanding consumer markets with my
newfound excitement for data was the perfect combination.
Q. What co-op
experience do you have in this field?
I had my first co-op at New Balance as a digital consumer experience
co-op. I had the opportunity to lead national marketing campaigns and analyze
wholesale brand pages such as Amazon, Zappos, and DSW. This position allowed me
to expand my knowledge of digital consumer experiences by gaining insight on
the impact of analytics on a business, pitching 2020 products to wholesale
accounts at monthly sales meetings, and brainstorming new ways to increase
marketing strategy outside of the New Balance website.
Playing with data visualization and numbers prepared me for my second
co-op, which I’m on now, working more with data analytics. At Genentech, I
partner with the Department of Informatics to look at how analytics power
internal scientific decision making and how cloud data repositories assist in
data management. Since this role oversees internal communications and
strategies, there are a lot of opportunities to use tools like Tableau and R to
create visuals and trends to share with the rest of the team.
Q: What is the biggest
takeaway you have from your co-op experiences so far?
I have learned to build relationships while on co-op. From formal
networking to just getting to know a co-worker on a more personal level, I have
nurtured and gained some of the most valuable relationships to date. Whether it’s
bonding with my team or learning how to strike up a random conversation with
someone new, my co-op application process and overall co-op experiences have
given me the opportunity to create and sustain lifelong relationships.
Q. What is your biggest
piece of advice for someone who is considering a similar education path in
marketing analytics?
The biggest piece of advice I have is to just try it. I was scared that
this field would be too difficult or technical for me. Most of my work with
marketing prior to this was along the lines of basic design and social media
advertising. However, after taking the marketing analytics course, I realized
that this was the perfect concentration for my old interests and newly budding
interest for analytics. In my opinion, there is a big difference with having
just “marketing” versus “marketing analytics” on your resume. I think the
latter provides lots of opportunities, especially since the future of data
science and analytics will continue to grow.
Q: Tell us about your
experience studying in China as part of the N.U.in Program.
Moving to Shanghai exposed me to a vibrant and growing business
environment—it was an absolutely amazing experience. Through the N.U.in
Program, I was able to tour the Volkswagen factory and learn about the
manufacturing process, study urban city development through field trips across
the city, and experience some of China’s history through our weekend excursion
to Nanjing. My N.U.in experience was truly the definition of experiential
learning.
While I was in Shanghai, I volunteered with the Shanghai Volunteers,
brushing up on my Mandarin and cross-cultural communication skills as I cleaned
Changfeng Park, colored with the elderly, and learned more about Chinese
culture. These memories are some that I will cherish forever, and I am
certainly looking forward to going back to Shanghai someday.
Q: What are you
involved with at Northeastern?
I am a dancer with NUDANCO Dance Company, a campus tour guide with the
Husky Ambassadors, and the former President of Alpha Kappa Psi, a professional business
fraternity. I am also volunteering as a pro-bono consultant for non-profits
with Chi Sigma Consulting and work with Professor Kwong Chan in establishing
the reputation, developing programming, and growing the community for The
Digital, Analytics, Technology and Automation Initiative DATA Initiative (DATA) as its project
manager.
Q: Tell us about the DATA Initiative. How did you get involved and
why? What is your role?
Northeastern enabled my interest in
finding research opportunities as a non-STEM major. Over this past year, I had
the opportunity to work with the DATA Initiative, a cross-disciplinary,
innovative hub dedicated towards sharing new knowledge about all things data
analytics.
I actually got involved by emailing Professor Kwong Chan about a course
syllabus. He took a look at my LinkedIn profile in my email signature and asked
if I was interested in analytics. I joined the DATA Initiative as its project
manager, working with
Professor Chan to host the first DATA Forum and partner with the Northeastern
DATA Club in its workshops and speaker series. Also, I established the first
student-led Analytics Lab on campus. During this time, the network of affiliated
researchers across the university has grown, student engagement has risen, and
deeper collaborations with corporate companies has increased. I am excited to
see where the DATA Initiative goes in the future.
Q. What are some of
your favorite school projects on which you have worked?
My favorite courses at Northeastern gave me real-world experiences: I interviewed the CEO of a startup in Boston in ENTR 2301 taught by Professor Golden; I analyzed the customer satisfaction data for a popular co-op company in MKTG 3501 taught by Kwong Chan; and I built out a marketing strategy for one of the local off-campus restaurants in MKTG 3401 taught by Professor Lassk.
Q: Can you tell us
about your Miss
America Scholarship organization
experience?
I started competing with the Miss America Scholarship Organization
because I felt it was an organization that would support my passions and help
me build relationships while volunteering in my community. Every contestant has
their own social impact initiative or social cause they promote. Mine is
professional development.
My passion for professional development
began the minute I stepped on Northeastern’s campus. With co-op classes,
helpful advisors, and so many amazing organizations to join, I realized that we
have so many resources to help others develop personally and professionally. My
involvement with Alpha Kappa Psi and Chi Sigma Consulting introduced me to work
with a non-profit named Tailored
for Success (TFS). This organization
inspired me to develop my platform, “Build Your Brand,” as a local
Massachusetts representative in the Miss America Scholarship Organization. In
collaboration with TFS, I’ve been able to develop relationships with the local
Boston community by hosting workshops and summits such as “Building Your
LinkedIn and Personal Brand,” with a focus on ensuring that everyone is
prepared for entering and succeeding in the workforce.
Q: Tell us about your
experience in Alpha Kappa Psi.
I joined Alpha Kappa Psi my freshman year. This organization is all about
mentorship. As a professional business fraternity open to all majors, I have
found mentors who have taught me academic lessons as well as lessons outside of
the business realm.
During my time with Alpha Kappa Psi, I was inspired to share my knowledge
with our community through professional workshops and experiences as the vice president
of professional development. During my time in this role, I was able to host
over 15 workshops bringing in Professor Barbara Larson to talk about
emotional intelligence, Professor Ed Weirtheim to speak on negotiations,
and more! We executed student-led workshops including “How to Build Your
Resume” and “Goal-setting.” One of my favorite events involved bringing
fraternity members to my co-op at the New Balance headquarters in Boston.
Gathering a few of my co-workers, we gave a tour of the facility, introduced a
panel ranging from experts in finance to design engineering, and even watched a
live show assembly demonstration.
In my role, I wanted to leave a legacy utilizing my passion for
professional development. Last fall, we hosted our first “Build Your Brand”
event bringing in guest speakers to talk about their personal and professional
brands. This summit was all about learning how to prepare yourself for that
first job interview and walk in with confidence. This workshop was a nice way
to tie in my work within the Boston community, with the Miss America
Organization and Tailored For Success, and within the Northeastern community.
Q: Tell us about your
summer classes and recent internship experience.
While I wish summer classes were on-campus in Boston, my summer classes online have been just as rewarding. I am lucky to have such attentive and passionate faculty to guide me through these seven weeks.
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