Envy

On April 5th , had the privilege of attending my second American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. When I arrived to conference, I had the same mentality that I did last year; get to know as many AMA members as possible from around the nation and see how they make their organization AMAzing. It’s hard to put into words how much I learned and experienced that weekend, but one thing is for sure, I was doubting my own organizations capabilities because of obstacles I thought we only dealt with. I began the weekend in a meeting with all the presidents and vice presidents talking about how some chapters raised enough money to pay for a single-family home (Whitewater), and how others worked together to build homes for the homeless community. I was inspired by all the stories and experiences and kept thinking to myself “I wish we could do that” or “we are a commuter school so people aren’t as committed to our organization.” I attended every keynote speaker and breakout session, and gained so much knowledge about how to lead an organization, delegate tasks and market a marketing club. In every session, one topic stayed consistent; you can’t succeed unless you work together; I knew that already, or so I thought. One thing that I kept missing when it came to our chapter is the importance of understanding and supporting each other for a single cause. I would also make the mistake of saying “this is YOUR organization.” No, this is our organization. After considering everything I heard from other chapters, I finally understood why they were so successful. They worked as a team; leading and supporting each other. They connected with their members and made them feel like they were part of a family. That is what I strive to make our chapter like. As the upcoming president for the Fall 2018 semester, I vow to make every member feel like they have a part in the organization. I will personally let them know how important they are and how proud I am of them. No matter what, success starts from within, and without our members, we wouldn’t be one of the top 20 chapters in the nation. Gabriella Kubiszyn President