(f) z 0 ~ <{ N z <{ CJ a: 0 MARKETERS IN THE MAKING AMA PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH OPPORTUNIT IES CAREER WORDS Madison Edwards I I PHOTOS KaZf, Fujisawa & Evan Swearingen H arding's chapter of the American Marketing Association ( f ) began in 196 . It provided tudent the skill and opportunities to ucceed, not only in college, but after graduation as-.: ell. Lori loan, assistant professor of marketing, became an AM sponsor in 1997. "One of the main benefits for the students involved in MA is access to an international network," Sloan said. " nee you pay your due , you have a directory of every professional AMA member and their contact information in all the countries AMA is in. Another benefit is [that] students get the chance to do s mething in their field. Any idea they come up with, [AMA will] help them organize it. The connections and experience are priceless." loan established a reward point system in 2000 ,, hen he heard the idea from an MA spon or at another uni rsity and th ught it would be a great sy tern to implement at Harding. he hoped it would pro ide initiative for students involved in M to work hard. "To me, it's not about who you are, it's about how hard you work," Sloan said. "I wanted it to be an equal playing field, like in the real world where you are rewarded for your work." Once students paid dues at the start of the semester, they coulJ earn points through meeting attendance, holding offices and helping with events. Whoever earned the most points had the opportunity to go on an all-expense paid trip to either ashville or Dallas, depending on the year, where tudents could visit advertising agencie and organizations such as the Country Music ssociation, the ashville Predators and the Dallas Cowboys. "The projects they work on and trips they go on with AMA are what they talk about in their job interviews," Sloan said. "It's that real-world experience they are looking for." E mily Heinen, a senior marketing major and vice president of AMA, recognized how beneficial AMA was to marketing majors, especially when AM hosted fundrai ers. "Fundraisers give AMA students the opportunity to plan, organize, promote and work out all the kinks of the event," Heinen said. "It gives them that experience that is great for their resume. They are capable of planning something and eeing it through." ccording to alumna Claire Perry, MA was a useful organization co be involved in when it came to post-grad life as well. "The leadership life skills MA taught me [have] immensely helped to jump-start my post-graduation career," Perry said. "The networking connections you make in this club will stay with you throughout your career. Harding business alumni are always there to help you wherever you may be. [I] am so thankful I was able to be a part of AMA the four years I was at Harding and for the friendships I made along the way." I An /.lJIAA meeting takes place on Sept. 13, 2017, in the Mabee Business Building. The organization utilized their social media platforms to keep members ergaged and ,nformed throughout the semester. // Photo Evan Swearingen Seniors Amber Fancher and Sarai Medrano visit the AMA booth at a tailgate on Sept. 30, 2017. in front of the Ganus Activities Complex. The booth provided an opportunity to learn information about the organization and their networking opportunities.// Photo Kazu Fujisawa
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