The Altitude team is always eager to welcome students who are interested in marketing careers to the offices by providing them with real-world learning experiences.
On January 9, Justina Hnatowicz, a student in Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and Catherine Garrity, a Bloomsburg University student, were welcomed to be a member of Team Altitude for the day.
“We love having eager and self-driven students ask to spend a portion of their day with Altitude,” said Stanten, who is a Syracuse alum. “I am a big believer in supplementing the classroom experience with real-world business applications, as well as being open to providing an opportunity to students to get an inside look at what a career in marketing could look like for them.”
Hnatowicz, who’d previously spent some time shadowing at a large agency, wanted to get a glimpse of what working at a smaller, tight-knit agency would be like. With an interest in design and social media, she spent the majority of her time with Ashli Truchon, a graphic designer at Altitude (as well as a Newhouse School alum), and Drew Frantzen, director, web services. Hnatowicz also got an inside look at the responsibilities of the public relations and social media team from Lauren Szoszorek, PR, social media and events specialist.
Garrity, a student at Bloomsburg University, met with the Altitude PR team made up of Szoszorek and Kelli Sheatsley to learn more about the public relations and communications side of the agency.
In addition to their departmental discussions, Hnatowicz and Garrity got to spend some time to sit down and chat with Stanten, who provided them both practical and inspirational advice on how to best get into the marketing field and be successful in their careers.
“Start making connections now with the people that you come across and use your school’s alumni networks to get a head start,” Stanten advised. “Follow your heart and don’t be afraid to fail because there are always lessons to be learned from those experiences. And always, always surround yourself with the right people.”
