BBA, MARKETING, SUMMA CUM LAUDE

Saint Xavier University

August 25, 2014 – December 9, 2017

I attended Saint Xavier University in Chicago for my undergraduate studies, graduating summa cum laude with my Bachelor of Business Administration in December 2017.

I majored in Marketing, earning a 4.0 GPA for my coursework through the university's AASCB-accredited Graham School of Management, and I minored in Communications with a concentration in Advertising and Public Relations. As a member of the Honors Program, I also took advanced, interdisciplinary classes and completed a highly intensive senior capstone project, for which my diploma recognizes my Honors Scholar distinction.

I also completed two experiential learning experiences: a semester-long internship and professional development program in our nation's capital and a summer studying abroad at one of the top universities in the world; aside from being life-changing opportunities within themselves, these experiences allowed me to earn credits towards my major and minor and, in combination with prior Advanced Placement credits from high school and my overall strong work ethic, helped me accomplish my goal of graduating early.

WII DC SEMESTER

STUDIES AT OXFORD

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I wear many hats in my current role at Britannica, but my favorite is definitely the one I put on as the point person for all consumer surveys. Combining the insights I collect with web analytics, subscription revenue, and other data, I'm able to create comprehensive dashboards and reports that tell the full story of our different products' audiences. I've recently completed a handful of survey projects for our Britannica for Parents site to help our team better understand this relatively new market for our organization. Each new professional and academic experience I've had has built upon the next, and the aspect I've enjoyed most is the knowledge I've gained about people. From conducting on-campus surveys and the research I pursued in college to the industry-specific business toolkits I helped create interning in DC and the web traffic reports I've completed for a law firm and now in edtech, I've built a foundation for wanting to continue understanding people's actions and society as a whole. I want the next step in my career to focus on this interest exclusively.
What are some of your strengths?

Because I don't like monotony, I'm always trying to think of different ways to do things—which often results in a more efficient process or interesting perspective. I think that that's probably one of my biggest contributions when working with a team. It also keeps things interesting in my life outside of work, I think. In addition, I pride myself on my writing and organization abilities. I enjoy exercising both skills, whether in working with spreadsheets or writing social media posts for work or just organizing the fridge or crafting a birthday card for a loved one.
What would you say is your biggest weakness?

It's cliche to say, but one of my weaknesses is that I am a perfectionist. While this results in my best work, I sometimes take longer than I need to on projects or procrastinate while critiquing. I'm of course very mindful of this tendency and have found that setting strict deadlines helps conteract it.
How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?

I usually just need to talk things through. Being able to vent, ask questions, or walk through what steps need to be taken next typically gives me the pause I need to decompress and move forward.
How do you like to be managed?

I've been lucky to have been able to form great relationships with basically all of my direct managers. I think it's important to have a solid, two-way foundation of trust and respect with your manager so that you know that you can not only come to that person when you have a work question but also if you need to talk through some other situation you're dealing with. So, with that in place, I think "hands-off" but "open-door policy"—meaning, I don't want to be micro-managed but I need to feel comfortable asking questions, making suggestions, and feeling that my voice is heard.
What do you consider your biggest success thus far into your career?

There is so much more I'd like to accomplish career-wise, but I think I'd have to say the work I did while interning in DC. I was only there for a semester and worked four days a week (the other day I was in class), but the amount of work I was able to accomplish still kind of amazes me. I did research for interactive maps and other public-facing resources, helped plan multple events (including the organization's annual conference), interviewed local business owners, and fully engrained myself in the start-up and tech sphere. And of course, the crown jewel was my personal project: I helped pioneer three industry-specific Entreprenuerial Toolkits, providing all the background research, copy, flow, and design vision. This was the most enjoyable and fast-paced environment I've ever worked in, and although it was an unpaid internship I felt content knowing that my work directly made an inpact on other people's lives.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I wear many hats in my current role at Britannica, but my favorite is definitely the one I put on as the point person for all consumer surveys. Combining the insights I collect with web analytics, subscription revenue, and other data, I'm able to create comprehensive dashboards and reports that tell the full story of our different products' audiences. I've recently completed a handful of survey projects for our Britannica for Parents site to help our team better understand this relatively new market for our organization. Each new professional and academic experience I've had has built upon the next, and the aspect I've enjoyed most is the knowledge I've gained about people. From conducting on-campus surveys and the research I pursued in college to the industry-specific business toolkits I helped create interning in DC and the web traffic reports I've completed for a law firm and now in edtech, I've built a foundation for wanting to continue understanding people's actions and society as a whole. I want the next step in my career to focus on this interest exclusively.
What are some of your strengths?

Because I don't like monotony, I'm always trying to think of different ways to do things—which often results in a more efficient process or interesting perspective. I think that that's probably one of my biggest contributions when working with a team. It also keeps things interesting in my life outside of work, I think. In addition, I pride myself on my writing and organization abilities. I enjoy exercising both skills, whether in working with spreadsheets or writing social media posts for work or just organizing the fridge or crafting a birthday card for a loved one.
What would you say is your biggest weakness?

It's cliche to say, but one of my weaknesses is that I am a perfectionist. While this results in my best work, I sometimes take longer than I need to on projects or procrastinate while critiquing. I'm of course very mindful of this tendency and have found that setting strict deadlines helps conteract it.
How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?

I usually just need to talk things through. Being able to vent, ask questions, or walk through what steps need to be taken next typically gives me the pause I need to decompress and move forward.
How do you like to be managed?

I've been lucky to have been able to form great relationships with basically all of my direct managers. I think it's important to have a solid, two-way foundation of trust and respect with your manager so that you know that you can not only come to that person when you have a work question but also if you need to talk through some other situation you're dealing with. So, with that in place, I think "hands-off" but "open-door policy"—meaning, I don't want to be micro-managed but I need to feel comfortable asking questions, making suggestions, and feeling that my voice is heard.
What do you consider your biggest success thus far into your career?

There is so much more I'd like to accomplish career-wise, but I think I'd have to say the work I did while interning in DC. I was only there for a semester and worked four days a week (the other day I was in class), but the amount of work I was able to accomplish still kind of amazes me. I did research for interactive maps and other public-facing resources, helped plan multple events (including the organization's annual conference), interviewed local business owners, and fully engrained myself in the start-up and tech sphere. And of course, the crown jewel was my personal project: I helped pioneer three industry-specific Entreprenuerial Toolkits, providing all the background research, copy, flow, and design vision. This was the most enjoyable and fast-paced environment I've ever worked in, and although it was an unpaid internship I felt content knowing that my work directly made an inpact on other people's lives.