This May, I will be graduating from Capital University with a Marketing degree with a focus in digital/social media marketing. As I look back, I find myself appreciating the unique experiences I’ve had. The time flew by very fast, but the memories and adventures I have collected are enduring.
I was one of the lucky ones that got to experience my first year of college “normally” or “pre-pandemic.” During my first year, I lived on campus in Scaff with my roommate, Emma. We met the summer before our senior year of high school in the Dominican Republic. We were both doing work there with organizations we were a part of and ended up meeting and following each other on social media. Fast forward a year and a half, we saw through Instagram that we both were attending Capital University in the fall and quickly became roommates. I was very nervous as an introvert to move away, but with Capital’s small campus and the super close community, it was so easy to meet new people. I made some of my best friends still to this day during welcome weekend.
During the first semester of my second year, I got my first internship opportunity. I was a Digital Marketing Intern in the marketing department of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. This is where my passion for all things digital marketing began.
It was during that semester that the whole world changed. I never thought that I would take three semesters virtually or have internships canceled due to external forces, but living through those events has taught me so much more than any classroom could. I believe by taking classes online, I learned about independence, motivation, and work ethic. These are the skills that showed me I have the ability to be an entrepreneur and a leader. I also began working more at my part-time job, which lead me to my third internship where I was a marketing and management strategies intern at the restaurant I also served at.
During my last year at Capital, I accepted an on-campus internship with the Capital University Integrated Marketing and Communications team (IMC). There I worked as a Marketing and Communication Relations intern with a team of wonderful individuals to develop promotional material and social media strategies for Capital’s social media and website. This internship really helped and ensured that this is truly the field and career I want to go into
Now, with graduation approaching in a few days, I frequently get the question “What’s your plan post-grad?” At the end of May, I am moving to Scottsdale, Arizona and plan on applying to positions in digital and/or social media marketing around the Scottsdale and Phoenix area. I am beyond excited to see what the future has in store for me, and I am extremely grateful for all my family, friends, mentors, and professors that helped me get to where I am now. The people I met, and the memories made at Capital University will always have a special place in my heart.