The secret sauce for success

EMILY MACDONALD

Learning by doing. It’s what drew Emily MacDonald to Western’s food and consumer package goods marketing program. With access to industry professionals, highly supportive faculty and endless opportunities to gain experience before starting her career, Emily knew she was choosing a major that is truly exceptional. 

“Food marketing is appealing to me because it’s a great program that companies are familiar with,” she says. “I get a lot of exposure to working with professionals on class projects, which has been really influential in my college career. Overall, it has been a really good way for me to start building professional relationships with employers who could potentially hire me in the future.”

Now in her junior year, it’s clear that Emily has found the secret sauce for success as a Business Bronco. She has learned the value of getting involved, being adaptable, and not being afraid to ask for help when needed. 

“When I first started in the program, I took a class with Dr. Zwanka who became a mentor,” Emily says. “He tells his students about every opportunity to get involved in our major. Because of this, I joined the Food Marketing Association and did a few case study competitions that I otherwise wouldn’t have known about. If it wasn’t for him, I feel like I wouldn’t have been able to succeed as much as I have.”

That success is marked with many accomplishments, including a second-place finish at the National Grocers Association Student Case Competition—a top highlight from Emily’s WMU experience. “It was really rewarding to see our team’s hard work pay off,” she says. “Another favorite moment was competing in Unilever’s Future Leaders League with two of my friends. We only had a week to come up with our project, which made it really stressful but also fun!”

Emily thrives in face-to-face settings, which made shifting to virtual learning during the height of the pandemic especially challenging. But ultimately, the experience taught her how to be adaptable—a skill that will serve her well in her future career. 

“I had never taken an online class prior to the pandemic, but I started spending more time studying the material in advance to make sure I understood it. It taught me that I have to be more comfortable reaching out to my professors when I need help,” she says. “After figuring out how to manage my classes online, I adjusted really well and was able to succeed while learning virtually.”