A Year of Growth, Grit, and Becoming
This past year has been one of the most challenging and defining seasons of my life. Between working over 10 hours a day, staying on top of responsibilities at home, and completing a Master’s program with little outside support, there were moments I genuinely wondered how I was going to keep it all together. But I did. I showed up every day, even when it meant working through exhaustion, studying during lunch breaks, and submitting assignments in the final minutes of a deadline.
I came into this program wanting to grow beyond being a creative producer. I’ve spent years as a designer and video editor, but I wanted to own the strategic side of marketing, to understand the data, build campaigns with purpose, and back my creative work with measurable impact. Over the past year, I’ve done exactly that. I developed full digital marketing strategies for my case study brand, Oo-de-Lally Coffee, including SEO research, influencer partnerships, mobile engagement, loyalty programs, and digital ad strategies. I earned my Google Analytics certification, learned how to track success across channels, and built a content calendar that reflects brand values and customer needs.
One highlight was my pitch presentation to Career Development. I presented my full campaign with confidence, showing how each part of the plan—from channel mix to KPIs—was built around audience insight and real goals. That presentation felt like a personal milestone. My mock interview was also a valuable learning experience. I started strong, but lost my footing during the introduction. It’s surprisingly hard to talk about yourself—to know how much to say and when to stop. But even that moment helped me grow. It reminded me that clarity is just as important as confidence.
Looking back, I see more than just completed assignments—I see growth. I see grit. I see the person I was becoming with each campaign I built, each late night I powered through, and each challenge I faced with no one cheering but me. I didn’t just earn a degree—I earned this moment. And I’m walking into the next chapter ready.
