How has ETBD with a focus in Digital Marketing impacted your higher learning experience?

As I reflect on my time in the Emerging Technology in Business and Design (ETBD) program, I can confidently say I am leaving Miami University a different person than when I arrived. I discovered a love for branding, fonts, and color palettes, developed a deep passion for marketing, and even learned four coding languages, something high school me would never have believed. Through close relationships with faculty, countless opportunities, and lifelong friendships, ETBD has shaped me both personally and professionally. As graduation approaches, it is a bittersweet feeling. I am excited for my next chapter, but I am also so grateful for everything ETBD has given me.

Engaged ETBD professors make an impact

When I think back to my first day in college, IMS 254 Thinking and Design Principles with Vanessa Cannon comes to mind, and I realize how much that class set the tone for my ETBD journey. Vanessa quickly became one of my favorite professors, and I even had the chance to serve as a teaching assistant for her as a freshman, a unique opportunity in ETBD. Later, in IMS 354 Intermediate App Design, I designed a mental health app that taught me the value of user experience and the importance of testing ideas with real people. Later, I brought my app to life by coding it in Swift and uploading it to the App Store. Those early hands-on projects helped me see how design, creativity, and technology work together to solve real-world problems.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of learning from incredible professors who truly care about their students’ success, both in and out of the classroom. Paul Hunter’s IMS 419 Digital Marketing and IMS 414 Web and Social Media Analytics were two of the hardest classes I have taken, but they are also where I discovered my love for marketing. His classes taught me analytics, branding, and strategy, giving me a foundation that I continue to use in my internships and professional work. Beyond the classroom, Professor Hunter has been an invaluable mentor, offering career advice, helping me prepare for interviews, and always making time to talk through professional goals. His genuine investment in his students’ success has made him one of the most impactful professors I have had at Miami. Professor Lisa Kuhn has also been an incredible influence on my Miami experience. Her Social Media Marketing and Content Marketing courses deepened my understanding of digital storytelling and taught me how to bring a brand’s voice to life online. Lisa is always willing to help and has supported me not only as a professor but also as my honors mentor. Her industry experience helped me feel confident pursuing marketing internships and envisioning a career in brand strategy. And throughout all four years, Vanessa Cannon has been a constant source of encouragement, always reminding me to follow my passions, take creative risks, and trust my ideas.

Client work in ETBD Digital Marketing classes leads to powerful portfolios

One of my favorite parts of ETBD has been the opportunity to work with real clients and apply what I have learned in the classroom to professional projects. I worked with local country singer Hank Ruff on a personal branding project, creating a sweatshirt design that is now featured on his website. I met with him virtually to discuss branding direction and learned how to balance creativity with business goals, a lesson that’s been invaluable in my internships. I also collaborated with students in IMS 228 to reimagine the ETBD program’s branding and am currently working on the social media team for my capstone course at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park, a nonprofit in Hamilton, Ohio. In IMS 355, Project Management, I have had the chance to help plan the ETBD Expo, a student showcase celebrating innovation and creativity across the program.

ETBD classes set students up for success

These experiences have all helped prepare me for my internships, where I have been able to take what I have learned in ETBD into professional settings. Between my sophomore and junior year, I interned with OCLC, a global library nonprofit, where I gained firsthand experience in social media marketing and learned how strategic storytelling can build community and drive engagement. The following summer, I joined Worthington Enterprises as a Corporate Communications Intern, where I worked on campaigns, internal communications, and branding initiatives, gaining a glimpse into corporate marketing. Both roles built on the foundation ETBD gave me and showed me just how many doors this major can open.

Looking back, I am endlessly thankful that I chose ETBD. It is more than just a major; it is a community that encourages independent thinking, inspires creative design, and promotes approaching problems with curiosity and confidence. The ETBD program has given me not only the skills to succeed in the professional world but also a clear sense of direction for my future in marketing and brand strategy.