In September of Andie Spearman’s senior year, nine months before graduation, her career was ready for launch.
The summer after her junior year, Andie, a marketing major from Atlanta, had a marketing and sales internship at Georgia-Pacific. Before her internship ended, she received an impressive job offer. After she walks across the graduation stage in May, she’ll become a business associate in the organization’s “Jump Start” program which will prepare her for a career with one of Georgia’s most prestigious companies.
How did success come so readily to Andie? “My experience with the Enterprise Program on campus taught me so much,” said Andie. “I learned that any idea can flourish.” The program, which encompasses 15 different student enterprises on campus, offers real-world experience to students. As the director, she leads other students in everything from developing marketing campaigns and implementing strategies to community engagement and reaching revenue goals. What has been the highlight of her enterprise experience? “Seeing other people find their joy.”
As a Gate of Opportunity Scholar, she is a member of another campus team that plans orientation for incoming scholars – another challenge she enjoys. Her favorite classes on campus also have a practical twist. In her Marketing Communications class, she worked with a nonprofit in the Rome area. Her Brand and Product Management class was built on examples from the real world.
Andie credits her two program supervisors for guiding her through her four years. “They’ve known me since day one, and we just do life together,” Andie said. How did Berry change her? “I’ve always been a hard worker, but Berry cultivated and helped me apply my talents. I faced some real challenges and have worked on things that haven’t come easily. I became the person I was meant to be at Berry.”
staff writer
