This month, the Department of Marketing spotlights Kate Lagis—a senior studying Advertising and Promotional Marketing at Missouri State!

Kate is originally from Raymore, MO, and over the summer, she had an internship with Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) in Kansas City, KS where she was the AWG Brands Marketing Intern. In this position, she worked with the private label group on developing and telling a brand story. She was immersed into many different projects over the summer and gained skills like writing, designing, and proofing a magazine. After graduating in May of 2023, she would like to work for an organization that encourages growth and values new ideas. According to Kate, “The marketing field is very versatile and has a variety of opportunities”. 

We are so proud of Kate, and decided to interview her to learn more about the position, and pick-up on some advice that she might have for other students in the field of marketing. Here’s what she had to say:

Q. Why did you decide to get a degree in Marketing?

“Growing up I always wanted to do something creative. I was lucky and kind of found my passion for marketing and advertising and a young age. I honestly had no idea what the degree really entailed at the time, but I was captivated by the everyday effect advertisements had on me and people around me. I also love social media and knew that social media marketing was going to become huge. I always loved logos and branding of companies, the way their ads made me feel, and just the whole idea of making someone want to purchase a product from an ad on any channel. Marketing is a field that will never go away there will always be something to brand and market to consumers.”

Q. What do you want to do with that degree in the future?

“In the future I want to use my degree to help me get my dream job. I am not sure what that dream job is yet, but I know when I find it my degree and experiences, I got from the marketing department here at Missouri State will set me apart from others. I think you can still learn something new even after graduation. So, I want to continue to grow and learn anything I can marketing related even outside of a classroom environment.”

Q. What is your favorite part about being a Marketing student?

“My favorite part of being a marketing student is the in-class projects. I enjoy the classes that allow us to use what we are learning in execution of projects. I think the best way to learn is to do so being able to create and work on a variety of different marketing projects is something I truly enjoy and value from being a marketing student here at Missouri State.”

Q. How has your educational experience shaped you?

“My educational experience has shaped me to learn to adapt and grow quickly. I came into Missouri State with 46 college credit hours, so my freshman year I was starting sophomore and junior level classes. I was so nervous that I would not understand what I was doing or just feel behind because my prior college classes were not taken at Missouri State. I quickly realized that the instructors at Missouri State are eager and willing to help students in any way possible, and those upper-level courses my freshman year only made me more excited for my future in the marketing department.”

“I also think being ahead in my school really forced me to get real world experience before many people do. Last summer, I had an internship with Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) in Kansas City, Kansas where I was the AWG Brands Marketing Intern. In this position I worked with the private label group on developing and telling a brand story. I was emersed in so many different projects over the summer and gained skills I didn’t think possible. I was able to help write, design, and proof a magazine. I got to write product descriptions for a website that are now live and viewable to consumers. And I also got to sit in on label design meetings. I really was able to learn a lot in the 10 weeks, and I thank Missouri State for setting me up for success in that internship.”

Q. What are your plans or ambitions post-graduation?

“Post-graduation I am hoping to find a job that allows me to keep learning new skills. I want to work in an environment that encourages growth and innovation and values new ideas. I love branding and would love to work an industry job because it would allow me to fully emerge myself in a specific brand or product. I would love to work in digital marketing and learn more about the social platform side of marketing. I would love to move to another state and start a new chapter of my life fresh and somewhere new and exciting. I am open to any opportunity that is thrown my way, and I cannot wait for what my future holds.“

Q. Do you have any advice for younger Marketing students?

“Build your “tool kit” now. There is no reason you should not be starting to gain that real world experience right now. The easiest way to learn is to do. So, look for internships, volunteer your time, get involved in clubs and organizations that will help you learn and grow into your future career. The time to start is right now you never know what you like or if you are good at it until you try. The purpose of college is to learn and find what your passions are so put yourself in those situations that allow you to learn and grow, because come graduation you will be thankful you took those opportunities.”

Thank you much for meeting with us, Kate! We look forward to keeping up with your endeavors and appreciate what you have to share about your experiences in the Department of Marketing!