Alumni Share Their Experiences
Joselyne Hernandez
Degrees and Years: Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, Minors in personal selling and
management 2016
WSU Experience: Imagine being a student and having the chance to create a marketing plan for a non-profit
organization with a very small budget. Call me silly but this class project was a
major light bulb moment for me! I realized it doesn't take a load of money to be a
great marketer. Instead it's your creativity, leadership, teamwork, enthusiasm and
willingness to learn all marketing skills that I've experienced at Wichita State and
continually practice in my current job.
Current occupation: I stay on my toes as the Marketing Director for The Kansas Foot Center, where I develop
marketing strategies, and advocate all things foot and ankle.
Advice for future marketing students: "It's easy for us to want to work for companies with the biggest name or biggest
paycheck, but my advice is to pick a company where you can solve for growth. "I was
once told 'you get far more career credit for being the 5th employee at LinkedIn after
its explosive growth than you do for being the 500th employee at Radio Shack before
it stops growing.'"
Evelin Palacios
Degress and Years: Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business with minors in Marketing
and Spanish.
WSU Experience: My overall experience as a WSU student was amazing.. The opportunities and experiences
I had at WSU through my involvement in student organizations, Study-Abroad programs,
and class projects have all played a huge role in my current position. As I work with
various customers from around the world, marketing has helped me better understand,
communicate, and find the specific needs of each of our customers to better execute
each contract.
Current Occupation: I am now working at Textron Aviation Inc. as a Contracts Coordinator in Special Missions.
Advice for future marketing students: "My advice for future marketing students is to market yourself, let it be known the
qualities you can bring to the table and always take advantage of any opportunity
that presents itself; you never know where it could take you.”
Ian Clark
Degrees and Years: Bachelors in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing 2014
WSU Experience: I felt like the curriculum was designed to be applicable to the real world. Many
courses offered the opportunity for in-depth hands-on experience. I can honestly say
I use aspects from all of my marketing classes every day in my career. Some of my
favorite courses such as Integrated Marketing Communication, Consumer Behavior, and
Strategic Management gave me the experience and knowledge I needed to be successful.
Some of the most valuable lessons and experiences at Wichita State came not only from
the classroom but from the interpersonal relationships with students and faculty alike.
Current Occupation: I am currently the Channel Marketing Manager of Hustler Turf Equipment
Advice for future marketing students: "Don't feel the need to fit a mold, everyone's path is different and you should blaze
your own trail. Opportunity knocks in the most peculiar of ways, make sure you ready
to recognize it and seize it."
Reese Woodcox
Degrees and Years: Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing, 2013
WSU Experience: The one program that stands out the most to me would be Business Study Abroad. It
is a fantastic way to experience new countries while networking. The people I met
while studying in Austria not only became close friends, many of whom I still speak
with regularly, but were instrumental in my moving to Ireland after graduating to
pursue a master's degree. This ultimately lead me to where I am now, working in one
of the largest private companies in the world and in a field I am passionate about,
so I owe quite a bit to this program.
Current Occupation: Currently I work in Cargill's Strategic Sourcing and Procurement department as an
Associate Buyer.
Advice for future marketing students: "Take advantage of the resources and opportunities available to you. The Barton School
of Business has a ton of information available to help you make the most of your time
there, from the Career Development Center to the faculty. It's important to remember
that many of these resources are available even after leaving Wichita State."
Samantha Bandasack
Degrees and Years: Business Administration in Marketing from 2011-2014
WSU Experience: Wichita State University was a building block for my career foundation. Building my
resume was important and meaning to me during my WSU experience. I wanted to walk
away from Wichita State with a competitive edge and I knew that I needed real world
marketing experience. Not only was WSU able to help build my marketing knowledge,
but also I was able to gather real-world experience through classes and CO-OP internships.
Gaining internships through WSU's CO-OP is one of the biggest benefits to a student.
Internships will help you gain work skills that will make you competitive when you're
applying for jobs after graduation.
Current Occupation: Lead Marketing Specialist at Houzz, Inc.
Advice for future marketing students: "Get an internship through the CO-OP program because, it is going to be a building
block for your career."
Madelynn Bazzelle
Degrees and Years: Marketing with Real Estate, May 2016
WSU Experience: Having internships and getting real world experience was super valuable during my
time as WSU. Getting to work with and see how different businesses operate was great
for connecting classroom learning with real world problems.
Current Occupation: I work in digital marketing at a startup company creating advertisements for events
in Facebook and Google.
Advice for future marketing students: "Go outside your curriculum to learn skills you want to utilize. One of my favorite
classes I took at WSU was Ad Copywriting which gave me the confidence and skills to
write for a public audience. Also, take advantage of every moment."
Robyn Davis
Degrees and Years: Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Integrated Marketing Communications,
minor in Entrepreneurship, 2014. Master of Arts in Communication, 2016
WSU Experience: Not viewing Wichita State as simply credit hours I had to take each semester, but
engaging in all the opportunities the university offered was by far the best decision
I made in college. I studied abroad in France, partook in Flint Hills Media Project,
accepted many research opportunities outside of my class load and was a member of
the Greek community. The soft skills, time management skills and overall work ethic
those experiences taught me are what led to my post grad success. I also befriended
my professors who have been mentors, but more importantly friends. I'm thankful for
the support I found in the teachers who saw my potential and pushed me to succeed,
but I had to be the one to take the initiative to reach out and develop those relationships.
Current Occupation: Account Coordinator
Advice for future marketing students: "Get as much professional experience as you can while in school. Internships, paid
or unpaid, allow you to apply the skills you learn in school and teach you lessons
far beyond what you learn in the confines of a classroom."
Madison Johnson
Degrees and Years: Business Administration in Marketing Class of 2014
WSU Experience: “My experience at Wichita State was an astounding game changer. Coming into college
the one phrase you'll hear on a daily basis is, “You'll get out of it, what you put
into it,” but with WSU I didn't even have to look for those experiences. They surrounded
me. At Wichita State I chose to diversify myself. Rather than be one person with one
group of friends who did one thing, I wanted to be the girl who was everywhere doing
the things she loved while earning a degree. My marketing experience in college showed
my future employer that I'm not only highly adaptable, but I have the initiative to
spearhead high-stress projects. With Wichita State on the map for its athletic excellence,
when my employer saw that I worked with the athletic department's marketing team and,
in turn, worked with Sports Illustrated while being a full-time student, they saw
the ambition and organization it took to do that."
Current Occupation: Chief Human Resources Officer at a national toy company
Advice for future marketing students: “You'll get out of it, what you put into it.”
Michael Ward
Degrees and Years: Business Administration in Marketing Class of 2014
WSU Experience: “My experience at Wichita State and within the Barton School of Business was incredible.
I was surrounded by influential professors and students who were as passionate as
I was about progressing as business people. The Marketing Department provides unique
opportunities to work on many cooperative learning projects. One such project I was
involved with was the development of a fully functional marketing plan for the new
Shocker Hall dorm. As a capstone project, we were asked to develop marketing strategies
that The Housing and Residence Life staff could use to help fill the dorms in their
inaugural year. It was an extremely challenging project, but one which is validated
each time I return to campus and see the success of Shocker Hall. If you're interested
in a pragmatic approach to learning about real world business situations, enroll in
the Barton School of Business Marketing Department at Wichita State University.”
Current Occupation: District Support Representative, Harland Clarke
Advice for future marketing students: “Become involved on campus and get as much professional marketing experience as you
possibly can.”
Natalie Samb
Degrees and Years: Business Administration in Marketing Class of 2013
WSU Experience: “My experience at WSU was extremely memorable. As a member of the WSU Women's Golf
Team I was able to connect with the school, community and student body. The teachers
designed the curriculum to give each student a hands-on experience. This created a
learning environment applicable to the real world. After I graduated, I felt confident
to enter the workforce with extensive knowledge in marketing and business practices.
My new position is Membership Director at Topgolf in Overland Park. It is the perfect
combination of everything I learned in school: marketing, sales and management. The
fact that it is also in the golf and entertainment industry makes it truly a dream
job for me."
Current Occupation: Membership Director, Topgolf
Advice for future marketing students: “Connect with the school, community , and student body.”
Lauren Viel
Degrees and Years: Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Class of 2012
WSU Experience: "The years I spent at Wichita State were wonderful! I loved being an athlete as well
as a student. I graduated with the skills I needed and the motivation to pursue an
MBA. I credit the professors who equipped me with the tools necessary to excel in
this field. I am a Program Coordinator at MD Anderson Cancer Center. I work on financial
projects for the most part, but the analysis aids in developing a marketing strategy
for certain clinics or services in the hospital."
Current Occupation: Program Coordinator, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Alex Held
Degrees and Years: Business Administration in Marketing Class of 2011
WSU Experience: "Overall, my experiences at Wichita State University were very positive. Much of
my career-oriented work experiences were gained while I was still in college. After
graduating, I sought out resume help from business leaders. Many people were impressed
that I gained so much career-oriented work experience while still attending Wichita
State. During my senior year, I worked at the Sunflower, an on-campus, student-run
newspaper, helping local businesses market to the student population. While working
in Promotions Management for Wichita Festivals, I connected with the leaders after
the project was over, working as their communications intern. Currently I work at
the Arlington Chamber of Commerce in Arlington, Va. as their membership engagement
manager. My main focus is membership retention. I ended up in the Washington Metropolitan
Area through AmeriCorps VISTA. AmeriCorps VISTA is a government program, started under
President Johnson, which sends people to different non-profits helping the non-profit
build capacity. My service year was at A-SPAN (Arlington Street People's Assistance
Network), where I helped the organization increase their vehicle donations."
Current Occupation: Membership Engagement Manager, Chamber of Commerce in Arlington,Va.
Advice for future marketing students: Start your involvement on campus early to gain the most experience possible.
Tiffany Marr
Degrees and Years: Business Administration in Marketing Class of 2010
WSU Experience: "I started WSU at 16 years old as an early high school graduate. While attending
WSU as a full-time student, I also worked full-time. I have since obtained an MBA
from WSU, and a Master of Science from Florida Institute of Technology. I now reside
in Orlando, Fla., where I work in Government Defense Intelligence Systems for Northrop
Grumman. My marketing experience helped me understand the business environment from
a more dynamic perspective and better understand how all the pieces of the puzzle
fit together. In my current position as Contract Administrator, I am able to understand
the impact of marketing initiatives on our subcontractors' ability to adequately fulfill
their contracts with us."
Current Occupation: Contract Administrator, Government Defense Intelligence Systems for Northrop Grumman.
Advice for future marketing students: Understand the impact of marketing in your local area.
Robin Mishler
Degrees and Years: Business Administration in Marketing 2004 MBA 2009
WSU Experience: "I was homeschooled during high school. I started WSU when I was 17 and I had not
been in a classroom for the past few years. I was excited to be on campus and in an
environment where everyone wanted to learn and expand. I loved the experience as well
as my professors. I went back to WSU for my Master's with a Marketing Concentration.
I am the Marketing Director and Lead Research Analyst for The Research Partnership.
We are a full-service market research and consulting firm. We conduct focus groups
and surveys as well as other methodologies to help companies make more informed decisions.
It is a very interesting job as every project is different. I have been with thiscompany
for seven years and I still love to help test ad campaigns, develop products, test
name andbranding changes and improve services. One of the reasons I decided to major
in marketing was theflexibility to go in so many directions. With this degree, you
can go into advertising, promotions, branding,research, sales, etc. In my current
position, I work with various areas within marketing departments. Every project requires
me to learn all about that specific company, their industry and their target markets.
It still feels like college, the learning process never ends."
Current Occupation: Marketing Director and Lead Research Analyst for the Research Partnership