Bachelor in Marketing and Management - DeSales University - (Winner)
Editors Note: This student story essay was selected as the winner to BrainTrack's Business Schools Scholarship for Fall 2010. At the time of her submittal, Ariel Merkt was studying for a bachelor's degree in Marketing and Management at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania.
Wishes Had Known | Program Likes/Dislikes | Choosing Business
What do you wish you had known about selecting and entering your business school that would be helpful to others going into business?
Something you should look into before choosing a school is talking to the professors that will be teaching the core classes. The business professors at DeSales are either professionals or are still active in their fields of study. I believe that they are all more than qualified to instruct the student body here.
You should also examine the resources that will be available to you -- not just the library and the computer labs but the academic resources as well. I practically live at the library and, being a commuter, I feel as if I can escape to it, settle down there and get some serious work done. It opens early and closes late, which really works for me.
One final thing to think about is how you work under pressure. Business can be a harsh environment. I’ve learned in just my short time here that you have to plan for chaos and keep your cool. What if a group member doesn’t show up for a meeting, for example? Don’t sweat it. Use what you have, stay focused and get them up to speed as soon as possible.
Students who feel that a competitive, high pressure work atmosphere is not what they’re interested in should probably reconsider this field of study.
What have you enjoyed most and least during your business degree program so far?
Something that I enjoyed the most so far is a project I’m working on right now. It is for my "Principles of Management" class where we are put into groups to create a fund raiser for a children’s cancer charity. With our group of three we have to brainstorm an idea, work it up and then execute and promote it. Our goal is to raise $500. The event we came up with is called “Irish Day”. It will be on November 12th at DeSales University and it is open to the public and families. We will have food, games, bagpipers, step dancers and much more.
I absolutely love this kind of work because it’s for a good cause and I like to challenge myself to create the most exciting event I can. I want to use my network and find people I can bring in to make it the best it can possibly be. As of now, we are pretty much set to roll. We just have to promote a little more and have a flawless execution.
The one thing that is really getting to me, though, is having to balance everything. Of course I could make this event huge and have it in papers all throughout the county, but there are not enough hours in the day for that kind of work. Along with this very enjoyable class, I have four other classes, college soccer, and work. I have to work on my time management skills and study skills and then I believe I will be able to thrive even more in this wonderful program.
What led you to choose business as a career path?
I think it is very funny how I ended up choosing this career path. It all came from Girl Scouts. I started as a “Brownie” in first grade and sold cookies and nuts and candles to everyone on my street. It actually became an annual thing for my friends, neighbors, and family. When I would come knocking with my clip board, they’d open their doors and ask, “What are you selling?” I worked my way up through the ranks, from cadet to junior to senior and, finally, to advocate.
When I was a cadet, my mother became a leader. This was good and bad for me. It was good because I had to come up with topics for us to learn about that would earn us our badges. I also liked it because I was the leader’s daughter and something of a role model. Our troop of 25 girls looked up to me and valued my opinion. I became the troop president as well. It was bad sometimes because I wasn’t able to get away with anything. My mom and the other leaders expected a lot out of me, and I grew up a great deal during this part of my life. My mom pushed and supported me throughout Girl Scouts. I earned my bronze, silver, and gold awards for Scouts and I also became a delegate for Eastern Pennsylvania.
In the process of earning these awards and positions, I learned to work with people in a formal setting. I loved brainstorming and carrying out the projects we dreamt up. I also loved making a difference in people’s lives. And as I grew older I began to see that the business world might be for me. I was a top seller for my troop and service unit; I could “sell ice," as they said, "to an Eskimo." So I figured I could probably sell other things and earn a living from it. I’m not completely certain which business career I would like to have in the future, but I believe anything is possible with a sturdy foundation in the Girl Scouts.