"As a student, I created lot of materials that have value: business plans and marketing pieces that I could show when I came to interview here. I got this job within a month of graduation because I had marketing pieces ready to go. It was like I was showing them materials from a previous job rather than projects from college."
Our communication programs do not prepare students. We prepare professionals. Daniel sought a program that was as dedicated and enthusiastic about the field as he was. He got hands-on, relevant, genuine experience, and was guided by faculty who stressed ethics and the ever-changing environment. Daniel's education propelled his skills, and goals, even higher than he first imagined.
Background
Daniel is the Marketing Technology and Operations Administrator for the Agent Support Network of America (ASNOA), in Burr Ridge, Ill. He helps independent insurance agents from across the U.S. promote their services and products by creating effective, individualized, branding and email marketing campaigns, and through website design.
How did St. Ambrose University help you refine your professional goals?
"I was a nursing major my first two years at SAU, and one day I was talking with some of my professors about what I really wanted to do, and one of them helped me realize it was public relations. That professor helped me identify what my skills were and in what field I could excel."
How did your education exceed your expectations?
"I learned a lot about technology. I thought the field of communications was speeches and writing. But, as online presence for businesses has developed, I realized I needed to know content strategy and search engine optimization. The faculty offered present-day examples of how communications was changing every week and what companies were doing to update their image online."
Did your capstone project give you real-world business experience?
"I worked with company owners to create a business plan," he says, adding the semester-long project gave him great insight. "I learned to integrate what I thought was good idea into what the business owner knows is reaching his clients. In my position today, I am not an insurance agent, but I do marketing for all our independent agency owners. I work very closely with them so I can know what they know about their clients."
How does you liberal arts-based education help you today?
"The faculty helped me learn to look past the assignment and discover why it is so valuable. To look at all variables and how each one impacts everything else," he says. "We worked on projects a little longer and a little deeper. The professors wanted you to aim for, and focus on, quality, not just your grade. It definitely applies to what I am doing now."
