Whitman Ambassador Thankful for Opportunities Syracuse Has Provided

Korean-American student Enoca Shin ’25 was excited to visit Japan and South Korea as part of a Whitman School Business in East Asia Immersion trip at the end of her sophomore year. The marketing and business analytics major was so enamored with the experience that she decided to stay in South Korea for the summer.  

Shin enrolled at Yonsei University for a summer term and was hired as a public relations intern at 3ProTV. “The company was planning to expand into the U.S. market and being bilingual, I was able to assist with translations and creating presentations for investors,” she says. “The experience was honestly mind-blowing, not only being able to work internationally but collaborating with a diverse global team.” 

Shin describes herself as a team player with excellent communication and organizational skills who thrives in collaborative environments. Last summer, she served as a brand marketing intern for the Sharp Electronic Company, working on social media and public relations for the home appliance sector. “It was a completely new industry for me, but I had a fantastic time collaborating with their communications team,” she says.  

Shin says both internships allowed her to apply her Whitman education to practice. “At Whitman, we’re constantly doing group presentations and I found that experience very useful in terms of having professional communication skills,” she says.  

Shin credits her Whitman professors for training her well. Most influential have been marketing research professor Minjung Kwon, who worked in industry before pursuing academia, and business analytics professor Penelope Pooler. “She inspired me to pick up business analytics as a second major,” Shin says. 

But Shin has also put her marketing knowledge learned in the classroom to use in her extracurricular activities: the Korean American Student Association and University Union, the campus programming board.  

Shin was inspired to join UU after attending Juice Jam as a first-year student. She started out working in social media, then became marketing director, and now serves as vice president for her senior year. “My marketing skills have been so helpful with every event we plan and promote—from cinema screenings to concerts and performing arts shows,” she says.  

That included Juice Jam in September, the first since COVID-19 that was open to the public and held in the JMA Wireless Dome. “Our board worked together to overcome every hurdle and deliver the best show possible,” she says. “Leading University Union has been one of the most rewarding experiences and I’m proud to have contributed to its legacy.” 

Her UU experience has been so influential, Shin is focusing her post-graduation job search on the music and entertainment industry. “My dream job would be to work in event management, creating dynamic and engaging spaces that make live music experiences more entertaining and memorable for audiences,” she says.  

Wherever she lands, Shin feels well prepared for the workforce. “Syracuse University has opened so many opportunities for me,” says Shin, a big reason she applied to be a Whitman Ambassador at the end of her first year. 

As a sophomore, she was invited to become a lead ambassador, in charge of training new ambassadors and working in the visitor’s center.  

“The Whitman School is like a second home for me. I’ve had such a great experience here I want to showcase that to visitors of the school,” she says. “It’s been an amazing opportunity to meet prospective students and to get to know more Whitman faculty and staff.  

“Without Whitman, I wouldn’t have been able to grow so much, from my friends that inspire me to the professors who are always available for me.”  

By Renée Gearthart Levy