Surprising to everyone except my mom, I will be graduating in May 2019. Oh, how four years flew by. As an ambitious kid out of Columbus, Ohio, I came to Wittenberg as a psychology and statistics double major with a philosophy minor on the pre-law track.
That plan didn鈥檛 last more than a semester, though, and by the time I rolled in for the spring semester of my freshman year, I had identified my passions as a double major in psychology and marketing with a minor in communication. Now, a few months from securing my degree, my studies are the same, and I have been able to fill my time at Wittenberg with exciting involvement in Phi Kappa Psi, Student Leader Fellows, the C.A.B.L.E. program, serving as a tour guide, working as a consultant in the Oral Communication Center, and studying abroad in Australia, among other things.
I originally came to Wittenberg to play baseball, but two ACL surgeries later, that career was over after my freshman year. At most universities in the country, an athlete would be hard-pressed to find a way to feel involved and appreciated on campus after dedicating so much time to a sport. Luckily, this campus is just itching to give us each and every chance to make a difference. I struggled with not being an athlete. I had to figure out a way to identify my other passions, but Witt made that easy for me. With some extra time, I was able to flourish in leadership roles within my fraternity, as corresponding secretary and current vice president. Through those roles, I鈥檝e grown as a leader, a follower, a listener, and a friend.
I鈥檝e also been introduced to ManPower, one of Springfield鈥檚 local youth non-profits, showing me how much I value time with children. I was also encouraged to embrace my freedom and study abroad, so I shipped myself off to the Gold Coast of Australia for a semester, where diving into a new culture and living outside of my comfort zone now has me dying to get on the next plane to anywhere, as I鈥檝e been bitten by the travel bug.
Finally, the professors here at Wittenberg are just as advertised 鈥� incredible. I鈥檝e been given countless opportunities to find my passions through programs they鈥檝e personally recommended, colloquiums they鈥檝e encouraged me to attend, and mostly from the honest and appreciated conversations they are willing to have with any student that knocks on their door. So here I am 鈥� a senior at 麻豆传媒团队, soon to be the first Greenwood to graduate from a four-year institution 鈥� and I can truly say that Wittenberg has pushed me to challenge myself to the fullest extent.
One of those challenges was to begin chasing a career that I love and have passion for day-in and day-out. I am happy to say this challenge was easily conquered. Following my freshman and sophomore years, I had internship experiences in market research and digital marketing, respectively. These opportunities opened the door for me to land an internship at a company I had long admired, Energy BBDO, an advertising agency in Chicago, Illinois. The application and selection process for Energy鈥檚 internship program is long and tough, so to set myself apart, I emailed hiring managers, worked to create relationships with the social and strategy teams at Energy, and utilized any relationship I could find that would increase my odds. Once on-site as a Digital Integration Strategist intern, I spent the majority of my time working on current accounts that Energy holds, learning the ins and outs of advertising strategy. I also spent a chunk of my time as the strategy-lead for our intern project with Chicago local tech-incubator, 1871.
For those hoping to join me in the creative marketing and advertising industry, do not forget that it will always be about who you know. Your unique experiences will never be discounted and will often be the avenue for which you can meet people to begin with, but the relationships you garner and the creative ways you utilize them are what will advance you as you begin your career in this industry.
As graduation approaches, I am excited to say I have received job offers in my desired career field and in cities I would adore to start my post-grad life in. I would like to enter the non-profit advertising realm, so as I attempt to make connections in that area, my decision on where I will be starting awaits.
Loie Greenwood 鈥�19
Majors: psychology and marketing
Minor: communication
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
