AMA is an organization that is doing great things

T’rell Campbell Briana Sparrey AMA is an organization that is doing great things The types of organizations that students tend to join during college are usually social ones ranging from book to movie clubs, but what about an organization that helps students market themselves for life after college? The American Marketing Association is a national organization that gives its members real world experience with the way the marketing world works. Jonathan Hicks, a senior finance and economics major is the current president of AMA. Hicks said, “ We have our corporate program where we visit companies. This semester we have set up a trip to go to Brookfield Zoo and meet with their marketing team and on these trips we learn what they do on the job and some of the challenges they face.” A challenge AMA has faced is that they actually have been trying to branch out from traditional marketing firms to an aspect of Americana that is heavily promoted. Hicks said, “ In November we have someone coming from the Blackhawks marketing team, we’re going into sports now so we’re really all over the place with these industries.” However, AMA has to continue to produce new members to continue opportunities coming through and have the organization have life. Larry Beyer, a junior business administration major, is a new member of the organization. Beyer said,” I’m really happy that I joined AMA because they are an organization that can and will help me in the future.” AMA has increased the number of their members to twenty-seven this semester. To become a member there’s a double-sided application with a fee of $47 that goes to the national organization. “In AMA you get out of it what you put into it, its way to network yourself,” Hicks said, “One of our members actually got done job shadowing after one of our last visits in Downtown Chicago.” Opportunities like that don’t come along easily for students. AMA is an organization on the rise and they are attempting to reinvent themselves as well by coming up with a new logo and nice banner. AMA also won best academic group at the Charlie Awards in 2013. AMA is a group that is making big strides towards the future and their future looks bright.