Emma Spangler

After graduating from Souderton Area High School, Emma attended Montgomery County Community College. When it was time to transfer, she was initially set on attending a larger state school but ultimately decided that GMercyU would be a better fit — just as it was for her mom years ago, who also attended GMercyU.

I love that GMercyU is a smaller university, and I tend to thrive in smaller settings. I like to form personal connections with students and professors that are meaningful, rather than just being a number on a roster in a large university.

Experience in the Marketing Program

Emma will graduate from GMercyU in 2023 with her Bachelor of Science in Marketing. She has loved her major so far, explaining that "faculty in the department do a phenomenal job of preparing students for real-life situations, using critical thinking, and teaching and engaging students in general."

Dr. Ralph Hoffman has been one of her most influential professors in the program.

"His knowledge of marketing is extraordinary," Emma said, adding that he took the time to give her advice and techniques for the job interview process.

"I was just interested in marketing when I began my major, and now I love it and I can see myself doing it for a very long time, thanks to him," said Emma.

Emma also gives credit to Professor Margaret Rakus for her challenging courses, namely the Digital Analytics course. With the knowledge she obtained from the course, Emma was able to land an internship with a company that does similar work.

Internship Experience

Emma was offered an opportunity to intern for Partner Centric, a company primarily focused on affiliate marketing. They strategically place advertisements or coupons in front of the consumer to encourage them to make a purchase.

I will be able to learn another marketing skill that others may not even be aware of, which will make me more marketable in the future.

She'd heard great things about Partner Centric, as they place an emphasis on work-life balance. The company was founded by a mother of four children and is certified by Woman Business Enterprise.

"After my internship was over, I was offered the position to stay with them as an internal support specialist in the affiliate marketing field," said Emma, who is currently working for Partner Centric while she finishes her degree. "The work I do is essentially what Professor Rakus' class in digital analytics was all about."

Life as a Griffin

Emma was inducted into Sigma Beta Delta, the International Honor Society for Business, Management, and Administration and has been involved with the American Association of University Women (AAUW). She serves as the organization's secretary and will have the opportunity to attend the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL).

Emma also participated in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) retreat last year, where students discussed areas of improvement. As a commuter student, Emma was interested to hear the different perspectives of the residents and other commuters. At the end of the retreat, each participant shared one word that they felt they got from the experience. Emma's favorites were "empowered," "inspired," and "legacy."

"I loved that some of the staff were there to participate in it, too. It was also very special that President D'Emilio attended and spoke at the retreat. We felt very heard by the faculty, and we had a voice," Emma said.

Post-Graduation Plans

After graduation, Emma hopes to continue working for Partner Centric as a full-time market analyst. She also has her sights on companies such as Disney, Netflix, Lego, or Starbucks. Her dream job is to become a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) one day, and she eventually plans to move to Arizona post-graduation.