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Born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I was
never quite sure what I wanted to do professionally, I just
knew it had to involve the French language. During my
undergraduate studies at Temple University, I had the
opportunity to come to Paris twice – once for a fashion and
language summer seminar with the French Chamber of Commerce
and Industry and then six months later with Boston
University for their study abroad and internship program. It
was the combination of these two experiences that made part
of my future perfectly clear – I would need to be in Paris.
Getting my Master's in Global Communications (MAGC) from
The American University of Paris was most likely the best
decision I could have made for my future. Having already had
a background in Communication, the MAGC program was an ideal
fit for me – combining theory and practice and the
opportunity to get much-needed experience in the field. Not
only did the program offer me a more in-depth study of
communication and theory, but it introduced me to an
international student body and faculty who each played an
equally important role in equipping me with the skill set
necessary to set out into the working world. The friends I
made come from all over the United States, France, Brazil,
and Colombia – invaluable partners and a reliable support
group that was formed through our practical work together. I
was able to conduct research and write about the topics that
particularly interested me, and had the encouragement of
professors who forced me to really challenge myself. For
that, I'm extremely grateful.
As part of the MAGC program, I completed a six-month
internship at Landor Associates (Paris office), a leading
global branding and design agency where I was on the new
business and communication team. It was an entirely new
experience for me to participate on client pitches and help
advance the partnership between Landor and their biggest
clients such as Citroën whose identity the agency had
completely upgraded just as I arrived. It was a formative
experience which allowed me to take what I learned in the
classroom and put it into practice in a real-world context.
Although working in an agency ultimately wasn't right for me
long-term, the time I spent there was very enriching.
The training I received in and out of the classroom has
been useful in countless ways in my current position as the
Marketing & Communication manager for an online start-up.
I've had to draw from my experiences in the program and I
know that my work is more efficient because of that.
I'm astounded when I hear about the paths that former
students have chosen for their careers. Some are writers,
social media consultants, entrepreneurs, fundraisers, or PhD
candidates, and have AUP to thank for their successes. A
variety of career paths came out of the same degree and
that, for me, was a determining factor in attending. It's
the balanced combination of diversity and quality
instruction that ultimately makes an AUP education so
meaningful.
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