‘03 Comm Studies alumnus Adam Mason wasn’t always sure of what he wanted to do when he started at Ball State. Luckily, he found his path in the Department of Communication studies. After graduation, the door was wide open for him to explore a broad range of career options but his eyes were set on one goal—working for cloud computing giant Salesforce, despite the company’s notoriously low acceptance rate. After two years of applying and 16 interviews, his perseverance paid off. Mason now works as a Services Operations Manager in his dream company. We sat down to discuss how his time at Ball State provided him with the essential skills to succeed at Salesforce and what happened after CCIM.
Writer: Ashley Curry, Department of Journalism Student • Interviewer: Any Ung, ’19 Telecommunications grad• Video: Ball State UMS & Rachel East, Department of Telecommunications Student
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What kind of student were you at Ball State?
Confused. I really enjoyed my time at Ball State, but I was someone trying to figure out what I wanted to be.
Did you have a favorite place on campus?
I worked at the Irving Gym before they made it into the amazing facility that it is now. I managed shifts there, and I absolutely loved it. I met people, including dates and friends I still have now. I still love going back to what it is now.
What is your best memory of Ball State?
Graduation in the giant Ball Gym. Looking around seeing people that I knew from classes. We had collaborated, argued, and made really interesting work together. Now we were stepping out into something completely new. I’ll never forget after my graduation I threw a party and two of my professors dropped by. That was really meaningful to me.
Were there any professors that had an impact on you?
One was Dr. O’Hara. She has been the one that has helped me stay connected to Ball State after graduation. She’s invited me back. She’s a phenomenal person. Then Peggy Byers was another memorable professor that I had. We’ve stayed in really good contact with each other. She helped me through my internship process and my capstone project. She has a very warm place in my heart.
What was the hardest part being at Ball State?
Being confused. Trying to know what to do after undergrad was tough. That’s why I come back today. I talk to students in whatever year they are, and just tell them that it’s going to be okay. Ball State has come a long way in helping students figure out what that next step is.
If you could meet your freshman self, what advice would you give him?
First would be don’t push too hard in friendships, relationships. Don’t think that something or someone else is going to make you better. Just take a pause, and enjoy what’s going on around you. Take it all in versus instead thinking about the next whatever. That works for academics and a lot of other things. Be present in the moment. Understand that as you grow things will figure themselves out.
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