Before starting at Ball State, I was a part of the yearbook staff in high school. I initially didn’t see myself pursuing a career in the creative field. I joined the introductory yearbook course, and it completely changed my mindset. This course got my creative juices flowing and ultimately led me to pursue a career in design. After three years on the Pinnacle Yearbook staff and working as an editor, I decided to apply to Ball State.

My older sister was an Advertising major at Ball State. After joining my high school yearbook staff, my older sister encouraged me to visit Ball State. This was perfect since I was now interested in more creative pursuits. I declared my major in Advertising before my freshman year began. I’ve enjoyed it ever since.

The most influential class was Advertising Copywriting and Design. Not only did this class teach me a lot about the creative side of advertising, but it also really challenged me to think beyond the basics. Each class session covered a different topic. This allowed me to expand upon my existing knowledge on advertising—from writing 100 different slogans to drafting multiple creative briefs—the class was unlike anything else I had taken while at Ball State. In terms of career opportunities, I worked at the student-run McKinley Avenue Agency for two years. This experience was extremely beneficial as it allowed me to build my portfolio early in my college career and provided some insight into the agency lifestyle.

My experience at Ball State has further validated that I am on the right career path. From my freshman year to now, I have learned to be a better student, worker, and leader. Ball State set me up for future success through my commitment to academic success, extracurricular involvement, and job opportunities.

I have worked on various advertising campaigns such as the 2020 NSAC Adobe Campaign, 2022 NSAC Meta Quest Campaign, and 2022 Digital Marketing Competition for MegMade. After that, I began working in the CCIM Dean’s Office during my sophomore year. Through my job, I was able to do many amazing things like assisting in creating the Cardinal Courses outreach program. This program would help CCIM faculty members connect with high school teachers to host guest lectures in their classrooms. During my internship at M25, I managed the second annual Midwest Madness competition on Twitter. Pitting Midwest cities against each other for the March Madness season, and received over 200,000 impressions throughout the duration of the competition. I helped to plan a party in the winning city, Columbia, MO, for the competition. In addition, I helped publish M25’s first-ever Diversity Report which reiterated the firm’s commitment to diversity and showcased data from their portfolio.

I’m proud of all I’ve been able to accomplish during my time at Ball State. The many opportunities that happened during my time in college have allowed me to grow as a student and in my professional endeavors. My proudest moment was when I realized all my hard work paid off after receiving a full-time job after graduation.

Upon graduation, I will be starting full-time as a Platform Associate at M25, a venture capital firm, in their Indianapolis office. In the summer of 2021, I accepted a position as a Platform Intern with the firm and have continued in that role throughout the duration of my junior and senior year. I have learned a lot during my time as an intern, especially regarding venture capital. I have been able to build upon my existing design skills, writing expertise, and creative passions to craft community-building content for M25’s portfolio companies and the Midwest startup ecosystem. I’m thrilled that I get to keep doing it after graduation!

During my freshman year, I wanted to get as involved as possible. I decided to join the McKinley Avenue Agency, Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), and the American Advertising Federation (AAF). AAF has been the most beneficial extracurricular allowing me to grow my advertising skills outside the classroom through competitions and networking. During my sophomore year, I accepted a position on the leadership team of AAF as Treasurer and was elected President the following year.

The most important thing about Ball State is the many opportunities that are available to students. There are clubs and organizations, both academic and entertaining, available to everyone that allow you to make the most of your college experience. Getting involved on campus—through Greek Life, extracurriculars, and even on-campus jobs—has been the most rewarding part of my time at Ball State.