Jenna Ellis 25’ never imagined herself pursuing a master’s degree. After leaving her home in Syracuse, New York, to play ice hockey at a boarding school and continuing her athletic journey at Elmira College, Ellis could not picture spending any more time away from home. She also knew an online program would not be the right fit for her. 

The Whitman School of Management offered Ellis the opportunity to grow her undergraduate marketing skills while staying close to home. “I knew I wanted to be in-person at a reputable college that had a prestigious academic program, so I put all of my eggs into one basket and applied to Whitman,” says Ellis. 

As an undergrad, Ellis discovered her passion for combining business and creativity to make an impact. She began as a volunteer for Runway for a Cause. Through this, she landed an internship and eventually a leadership position as the director of marketing. This experience solidified her career aspirations, eventually leading her to Whitman. 

Through Whitman’s Business Analytics and Emerging Skills and Trends classes, Ellis has been able to develop her soft skills needed for the marketing field. “My emerging skills and trends class pushes me to think out of the box on how to solve the problem presented in a case, which will help me solve my own problems that could be presented to me in my future job,” says Ellis. 

She credits Whitman for giving her the tools in the box she will need for her future. “Being able to use Excel in a marketing perspective has been incredibly beneficial especially in its use towards my internship. Twelve weeks ago, I would have been using a YouTube video to figure these things out,” says Ellis 

Ellis appreciates how Whitman fosters her creative business mind while also helping her understanding of data interpretation. “The Whitman M.S. program is the combination of both creativity and analytics. I think analytics can oftentimes be skipped over in the marketing world,” says Ellis. “If you’re not posting something at the right time, your target audience may not see it which is why it’s so important to look beyond creativity.” 

Ideally, Ellis would like to take her marketing capabilities learned at Whitman and work in event marketing or management. She foresees herself having her own event venue that is applicable to any client regardless of circumstance. “I want to make an impact on someone’s day, whether it’s a special time in their life or a hard time,” says Ellis. 

By Anna Momo