From DECA to DataDirect, George LaForce is building networks and confidence
KALAMAZOO, Mich.— “The Haworth College of Business has really amazing professors, tutors and mentorship opportunities that support students' academic goals,” says Western Michigan University senior George LaForce. The digital marketing student from Brownstown, Michigan, has reached new professional heights through student organizations like DECA and hands-on learning at internship opportunities.
Keeping a varied, busy schedule, LaForce has been an active participant in DECA, the Business Technology Network, TechNext, and worked as a peer educator at the Zhang Career Center as well as with WMU Housing and Residence Life, gaining influential networks and experiences.
“The most exciting part of my career so far has been my engagement in DECA, an organization that prepares future business leaders through educational programming and competitive opportunities. DECA has allowed me to participate in business case scenarios and apply my experience to a professional setting. Last year, Madison Petroff and I placed third internationally in the Event Planning Case Competition and had the opportunity to travel to San Francisco.”
LaForce built up his experience for this success through his internship with DataDirect Networks (DDN), where he applied what he learned in class to challenges within the industry.
“I was a demand generation intern, focusing my efforts on search engine optimization. I helped boost DDN’s non-branded search visibility by 5%. I created new keyword clusters to target, put together an implementation plan so we could track and audit our content effectively, updated landing pages, and worked alongside the team on Google Ads campaigns.”
With a diverse repertoire of experiences now on his resume, LaForce encourages future business students to follow his lead and try something new. “My advice to incoming students is to get involved as soon as you can,” he says. “I know it's scary but put yourself in challenging situations. Joining multiple organizations helps you explore different career paths, network with like-minded students and grow professionally. The friendships I have made through WMU Haworth and student organizations have contributed most to my sense of belonging, so put yourself out there. You never know what can happen!”
As his academic career comes to a close, LaForce is looking forward to all the professional opportunities ahead of him.
“I plan to study abroad in Spain over spring break 2026 to further my knowledge on an international level. I also want to explore the business aspects of the fashion and tech industries, and I hope to do a rotational analyst program once I graduate.”
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