Whatever Happened to Semify Scholarship Winners of 2012 - Part 3

Semify recently awarded its tenth digital marketing scholarship!! The March 2016 spring scholarship winner has been notified and the public announcement is on our website and will be posted on our Facebook page this week.

Semify Marketing Specialist, Angelina Hilton, caught up with the three students who were awarded the online marketing scholarship back in 2012, the first year of the Semify Digital Marketing Scholarship program.

Previously, Angelina interviewed Giovanni Holmquist and Michael Minnock. For the March edition of “The Shout,” the monthly Semify newsletter that we email to our reseller partners, Angelina interviewed Andre Sandler, a 2012 scholarship awardee, who at the time was a student at Syracuse University.

When Andre applied for the scholarship, he envisioned a career in sports marketing where he could use online marketing to represent and promote a sports organization’s brand. He had already landed an internship with an independent league baseball team! Plus, he had managed social media and video content marketing at his various internships all the while continuing to seek opportunities to sharpen his online marketing talents.

WHAT HAS YOUR JOURNEY BEEN LIKE SINCE 2012?

Since 2012 it has been an interesting journey. I graduated college in 2013 and was able to start my job a few weeks after graduation. It has taken me to Buffalo and back to Syracuse. I have noticed you learn a lot about yourself when you are on your own in a new city and you don’t know anyone. It has been a fun, stressful time, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

IN 2012, WHAT GOALS WERE YOU SEEKING TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

Some personal goals were to get more involved in the stock market and read more books. I feel that is something that I have slacked on since graduating college. In regards to professional goals, I want to have the lowest turnover in my district for work as well as the lowest overtime.

WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE CAREER GOAL?

I feel my ultimate career goal is to work clothing retail or marketing. I really am intrigued in clothing retail, but who is to say this won’t change in a few years? I believe my biggest career goal is to enjoy what I do and feel like I am making a change in society in some way.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE RECEIVED ALONG THE WAY?

I feel the best advice I have received along the way is to not be afraid to make decisions. Often times we are scared to make decisions, and this in turn is the worst decision. Ever since I received that advice, I have always made a decision in any aspect of life and lived with whatever consequences those were.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ASPIRING YOUNG PROFESSIONALS LIKE YOURSELF?

The advice I would give to aspiring young professionals is to not be afraid of failure. I view it as part of any process, so never be afraid of failure.

LEARN MORE AND APPLY FOR THE Semify SCHOLARSHIP

For more information about the scholarship, the March 2016 winner and details on how to apply for the Fall 2016 scholarship, please visit the Semify Internet Marketing Scholarship page.