The American Marketing Association (AMA) Collegiate Chapter at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln hosted a Mentorship Meet and Greet event on Tuesday, November 17 to connect marketing professionals with members in the College of Business Administration. Sophie Podhaisky, a sophomore marketing major from Richland, Washington, is the AMA vice president of mentorship and planned the event.  
 
“The mentorship program is important because business is a lot about networking and who you know. This event gives students a place to start making connections with marketing professionals who could help them prepare for their future careers,” Podhaisky said.
 
Over 30 AMA members and Steve Welton, assistant professor of practice in marketing, attended the event and met four marketing professionals who served as mentors. They were Randy Hawthorne, publisher and executive director for Nonprofit Hub; Matt Sherman, owner of Three Pillars Media; Jennifer Schultz, director of development communications at the University of Nebraska Foundation; and Ty Westover, community relations manager at Bryan Heart.
 
While Podhaisky and her fellow AMA officers hold this event to help AMA members gain a mentor, it is the student’s responsibility to make the most out of their mentorship. Many business professionals and alumni give back to CBA by volunteering their time to meet and help students learn more about business and gain real-world experiences.
 
“Last year I was matched with Ty Westover and was able to shadow him at work. I learned a lot about his marketing and community efforts,” said Podhaisky. “We still meet regularly and I ask his opinion when I’m working on marketing projects. It is great to have someone in the marketing field share new perspectives with you.”
 
Student members were surveyed about their interests and career goals prior to the event in order to invite Lincoln professionals who share the same interests. One AMA meeting a month will be dedicated to providing members with an opportunity to meet a new mentor.
 
“This year we tried to set things up a little differently. Instead of pairing people, we created an atmosphere for students to get to know and choose a mentor themselves,” she said. “Chemistry is a big part of a successful mentorship relationship. We want to make sure students actually click with someone to get the most out of the experience.”
 
The UNL AMA Collegiate Chapter meets twice a month to connect students with faculty and marketing practitioners to deepen their marketing expertise, provide exposure to cutting-edge marketing practices and foster a marketing community based on knowledge sharing.
 
“Mentorship is more than a networking opportunity. It is a chance for students to learn about specific careers, internships, get help on résumés, advice for job searching and more. It’s important to seek opportunities that are presented to you. A mentorship is something you don’t want to miss out on,” she said.
 
Students interested in joining AMA can email unlama@unl.edu for more information. Published: November 19, 2015