Alumni Spotlight

Kayla Sallenger- 21'

Kayla Sallenger is currently in graduate school at Vanderbilt University! She is a Master of Marketing student.

Go Kayla!

Kayla's Q and A
Q- What inspired you to want to go to graduate school right after college?
A- "Once I found the MMark program, I felt like it was the perfect match for me. I always thought that I would have a hard time going back to school after starting full-time, so I decided to finish my Masters before entering the workforce."

Q-What is the grad school different than undergrad?
A- "It is different in the way that it is more application based. I do a lot of case-studies, long term projects, and analytics based coursework. The workload is different , since my coursework is graded on a curve instead of by letter grades/percentages. It can be time consuming, but the time spent working on school is very valuable to my learning."

Q-Wha is your advice to anyone considering going to grad school?
A- "Graduate school is a great way to elevate your resume and will pay off long-term as you work your way up in any chosen industry. Th curriculum has also better prepared me to take on entry-level and management roles!"

Tyra Myrick- 21'

Tyra Myrek was an IMC major at ISU. She originally went into college as a Pre-Med major. She started a t-shirt company in college, which made her realize that her true passions lied business and marketing! This caused Tyra to change her major. She interned throughout college and is currently working a role in Marketing. Tyra made a brave and bold choice to move all the way across the country to "America's Finest City," San Diego, CA. Also, she moved in just a matter of a few months after she graduated! She is currently working as a financial advisor, but will soon either be working as an event coordinator or in marketing at a hotel.

Go Tyra!

Tyra's Q and A
Q- What made you want to move to San Diego post-grad?
A- "I thought that moving to a new state would help broaden my mind and push me to do things I would never do. I was ready to experience a life outside of Illinois by meeting new people and having a change of scenery. However, the main reason was also to be able to find a career in the marketing industry that I would love. I felt as if moving to San Diego would put me at an advantage."

Q-How did you build up the courage to move across the country a few months after graduation?
A- "The idea of moving to a new state has always been on my mind and after constantly thinking about it everyday, I just decided, "Why not?" The worst that could happen is that I don't like it and end up moving back home, but at least I could say I tried it and won't have the constant thought of "what if?" I would say that was really motivated me was my support system. All of my family and friends helped push me to make the final decision by speaking nothing but positivity that came with so much motivation."

Q-What advice do you have for anyone wanting to move somewhere new post-grad?
A- "Some advice I would give is to save up as much as you possibly can before making such a big move, because there will be more expenses that just pop up randomly and having a savings will help so much. Also, make sure to have a plan and then have a backup plan, too." You ca move on a whim like I did, but just know it will be more work you have to put in. And the number one advice I would give is , always make sure you o what makes you happy, no matter the struggle."

Q- What is something WIB has taught you, that you've taken with you post-grad?
A- "1. If I"m not able to be myself at my job, it seems like a job that isn't for me, because I would be miserable pretending to be someone else. 2. Being able to help people just gives you such a warm feeling. You have no idea how much better you can be making someone's day and not know it. 3. Being able to network is gig to get you so far. The people you meet can potentially put you in a position to help you get closer to your goals. There's a lot of successful people who are open to mentoring so they can be able to impact someone's life. You just have to take the first step of creating a genuine conversation with them."

Callie Gorney- 21'

Callie Gorney was an International Business and Marketing major at ISU. She interned in Panama City, where she worked for the Busweiser FIFA Marketing Promotion. She worked alongside 13 other countries for this project! Callie says that WIB helped her land this internship through the connections and experience that it gave her.

Nice job Callie!

Callie's Q and A
Q- Could you tell us a little about the Budsweiser campaign you worked on in Panama? How was it to work with other countries?
A- "When I was in Panama City, I worked for a company that is under ABlnBEV and was a part of a whole bunch of different campaigns for their beer products. The most memorable one was the FIFA Budweiser campaign. I was basically in charge of the whole country of Panama's campaign and would work with countries from all over the world and I think that was my favorite part. It was so interesting to hear the different ays they were advertising to their consumers and the problems that they faced in their markets. The internship opened my eyes to what i want to do in my career and introduced me to my dream position as a global marketing director."

Q- How would you say that WIB has helped you when interning and job searching?
A- "WIB really solidified the importance of connections and having a network. I wouldn't have had most of my internships if it wasn't for the people that I met at ISU. Now as I am searching for a job, I reach out to those who I have things in common with, such as ISU, a sorority, and origination or even a home town. Starting the conversation with those types of connectors will help blossom network relationships which can help you not only out of college but also in the future."

Q- What piece of advice do you have for anyone that's still in college?
A- "The advice I'd give is to take advantage of being a sponge. Reach out to professionals, keep relations with professors, and learn form your peers. The best way to learn is from having experiences but you can also learn from other's experiences."