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The Tune of Marketing

Hayley SooHoo has combined her interests in marketing with her love of music.  How has the blend opened doors to various career options?

Hayley competed in the Novice Ice Dance in the 2008 U.S. National ChampionshipsSkating to William & Mary

The joke among my close friends is that I live in Canada, but I am actually from La Cañada-Flintridge, CA, which is a small suburb of Los Angeles. I toured William & Mary in ninth grade, fell in love with the brick campus, and have wanted to come here ever since!  Before coming to college, I was a competitive figure skater for 14 years, and though I don't have as much time as I'd like to skate anymore, I still practice during school breaks and during the occasional public skate trip to the nearest rink with friends. Skating led me to some incredible opportunities, like competing in Novice Ice Dance at the 2008 U.S. National Championships and performing with the national and world champion Los Angeles Ice Theatre for nine years. 

Marketing - From Classroom to Extracurriculars

In terms of academics, my junior year of high school, I took AP English with a teacher who was all about rhetoric and identifying the "audience." Some career research made me realize how relevant that was to business, so I decided to major in marketing.  I have absolutely loved my marketing classes so far and am eager to take on more. I also joined the Student Marketing Association freshman year, and am now Vice President of Public Relations. 

Hayley with other interns at Heidi Duckler Dance TheatreI've also developed my marketing skills and knowledge outside of the classroom-- I served as the William and Mary Wind Symphony's Publicity Director sophomore year, work as a student Marketing Assistant at the Cohen Career Center, and worked at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association as a Marketing Intern last summer. I also attended the 2011 Marketing Immersion trip hosted by Cohen Career Center. This 2-day whirlwind trip took me through some of the best marketing, PR, and advertising agencies and departments in New York City, and helped me see how my coursework could be put to use in a work setting.

Last semester, my roles in SMA and as a student assistant at the Career Center coincided when I was responsible for helping plan and publicize the annual Marketing Symposium. The symposium was one of the most valuable experiences I've had at W&M so far, and it was rewarding to help put it together and then take part. This summer I am interning at Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre, a site-specific dance company based in L.A. My projects have included writing a marketing plan for the company and increasing the effectiveness of its social media presence.

Hayley with the Wind SymphonyThe Musical Side

Though marketing is my main academic interest, I have really enjoyed my other classes at W&M. In my first two years I took so many music and music history classes that I decided to minor in Music, which is a fun contrast to the business courses. The Music department has also led me to musical opportunities I never thought I'd be part of, such as the William and Mary Wind Symphony and Delta Omicron, a co-ed honors music fraternity. For the past two years I've played flute in the orchestra for Sinfonicron, a student-run company that produces an entire musical in the two weeks prior to second semester's start.

Though it may not seem like Music and Marketing complement each other, I have found numerous occasions to combine my experience from both.  For example, last year I researched the marketing of America's symphony orchestras. I love not only that I have access to all of these opportunities at W&M, but that I feel supported by the faculty, counselors, staff, and my classmates as well.

Classes, Competitions, and Community

Aside from SMA and fantastic classes, a business school highlight was participating in the Mason Annual Business Plan Competition last semester. It was a challenge for my friend and me to prepare a 20-page plan and 20-minute presentation during the last few weeks of school, but the experience was well worth it.  The support and encouragement we got from the undergraduate faculty was great. We really felt like we held our own among our mostly MBA competitors. The sense of community within the business school is fantastic, and I've loved developing camaraderie across business progams.

The Next Stage

I am starting to narrow down my interests within Marketing, and the main thing I have to figure out is whether I want to pursue a marketing career within the arts industry or working for an agency. I feel very prepared to work within the arts due to my background with figure skating, music, and my internships, but I am intrigued by the fast-paced, ever-evolving agency work. By the time I graduate I hope to have a job in a new, exciting city, and possibly spend some time abroad.