Moving Day: Ball State University!

---

I’m moving from my hometown, Chicago to Muncie, IN. I will pursue a Master’s degree from Ball State University (BSU). 

Muncie is located in central Indiana. There will be a bit of an adjustment from living in a large city to a smaller town. 

My bachelor’s degree is from Illinois State University (ISU). I graduated from ISU in Spring of 2015 with a B.S. in Public Relations. ISU is located in Normal, IL. Normal is a town and Bloomington, IL is the city. It is normal to frequent both daily, locals even call it “Blono.” The population of Blono is roughly 130,000 people (Census, 2020). The population of Muncie is roughly 70,000 (Census, 2020). 

I accepted a graduate assistantship contract with BSU’s Department of Journalism. I plan to study public relations with a concentration in business. I will explain my justification below.

It is normal for institutions to offer graduate assistantships or other programs where students can work in exchange for tuition assistance, education, and financial resources. I will work for BSU’s Department of Journalism’s Outreach Coordinator in exchange for tuition assistance and a stipend paid bi-weekly.

Each BSU assistantship has basic requirements, but may vary depending on  department level needs:

1. Full-time student at Ball State University
2. Maintain a 3.0 (B) grade point average
3. Work 20 hours a week
4. Instruct undergraduate courses (Journalism 101, News 110, or Public Relations 101)

I have some additional requirements for my contractual terms, because my office handles all department outreach. Our office is responsible for all external marketing and communication for the journalism department. Additions to terms:

1. Ability to lift 40 lbs
2. Serve as a representative at national journalism conferences 
3. Availability for domestic travel
4. Graphic design experience required

YES, college moving day! In addition to teaching and marketing, I will be traveling across the states as a student representative! I also get to design marketing collateral for the department. How awesome is this!? 

I have experience working in marketing and public speaking. At ISU, I was a resident assistant (RA). I was responsible for residence hall preparation and upholding protocol. I feel very comfortable speaking with students about university life. In fact, my first job after graduating from ISU, was as a marketing strategist. I have tons of transferable skills and I love helping people. This will be great!

Waking up in my new apartment in the morning, feels great. I make breakfast for my brother and then he hits the road! I say goodbye and wish him well on his journey to New York. As he drives off, I did get emotional - times are changing.

I remember my goal: Measuring Intangibles Assets in a Quantifiable Methodology for Efficacy!

My main objective pursuing an advanced degree is based on my work experience and education. I study public relations because I love branding and communications. My undergraduate flew by (4 years)! When my passion grew for quantifying the theories I learned about, it was time to graduate. I remember simultaneously applying for jobs and reading more journals articles.

A few months went by after graduation before I landed my first job. It was at a beauty manufacturer in Chicago, Ecoco Inc. There's an unspoken excitement about your first “real” 9-5 job. My team and coworkers set the bar. for my expectations about working - We were FAMILY! I worked underneath the Marketing Manager as one of the lead marketing strategists. My team and I were responsible for the launching and rebranding of three different subsidiaries (Ecoco Inc., El Patron/Talyoni, and Eco Pro Nails). We handled all external communications, marketing, and ecommerce business solutions in-house. I had the opportunity to attend international conventions as an ambassador (Cosmo Prof.), designed packaging, Fashion Shows we sponsored . . . Everything marketing you can think of, our team handled all external communications. I had such a great time and made lasting connections.

After a year and a half of employment with Ecoco Inc., I wanted to discover more about theory and practice (a priori). I craved a deeper understanding of how things worked in business and also on a theoretical level. My team was killing it! Our sales were up, marketing was on point, we received great reviews, brands were launched. . . Yet, I was not satisfied with the WHY! My manager was an extraordinary leader, but she and the company had boundaries for justifiable research - ROI.

One of my most influential professors at ISU, Dr. Joseph Zompetti, would always challenge his students to answer the WHY question in general. Yes,  marketing efforts are successful, but WHY!? AND THROUGH WHAT MEANS!? My team's marketing efforts were effective, but why and how? Why does our marketing mix work better than our competitors? I knew answering these questions would develop the organization further to the next level.

Not everyone agreed about the significance of measuring. I knew in business, if a company faces financial hardships, it is normal for public relations people to be the first to get cut. Public relations is all about managing concepts you can not physically touch (i.e. employee morale, customer satisfaction, perceptions toward brand, attitude toward new software or service, customer behaviors on the website before purchasing. . .). I had to be able to provide solid evidence for efficacy of campaign objectives. 

Bottom line in business, any professional must have the ability to prove their worth in quantifiable ways (Money, Time or Efficacy) because it is your personal value proposition.

Though my education and work experience equipped me to talk about theoretical applications, I had no idea how to break my work down in numbers (quantifiable) and turn that into real value I added to the company (ROI). Eventually, my curiosity led me to a graduate program where I can learn those skills. I took the necessary test (GMAT the Day after Christmas!), submitted my application, and paid my application fee ($150). I was accepted into the Department of Journalism in January of 2016. I will pursue a degree in public relations with a concentration in business.

Another goal for graduate school is making friends! I love people. I love one on one time you spend with someone who is completely different from you. I speak basic Chinese, Spanish, Polish, and intermediate French because I wanted to get to know different people. Different people from different walks of life. It teaches you great insight.

Update: My brother and I have both successfully completed our programs.