Axe ’Em, Jacks!
When Annemarie Price graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in the spring, she was uncertain of the future. Due to the pandemic, the economy was in steep decline and employers were taking a wait-and-see approach to hiring.
But as it turned out, Price didn't have to wait long to be scooped up by an employer. In September, Houston-based Belvoir Real Estate Group brought her on as a marketing coordinator, where she works with brokers on print, digital and social media campaigns. The major in marketing from the Rusche College of Business proved to be the ticket, as did the minor in graphic design and the 3.8 GPA.
"I couldn't have asked for a better entry-level position," Price said. "This is a rapidly growing company with real estate listings all over the state of Texas."
Even though Price is in the working world building a career, SFA and its mix of memories will remain.
One of the highlights was the competition for a national scholarship through the Washington Media Scholars Foundation. Having made it through two qualifying rounds to the finals, Price and her teammate were competing for a share of the $18,500 award that was announced at a banquet in D.C. She wound up winning $500.
Price finished her last semester back home in Katy, safe and sound. Due to the pandemic and its associated disruptions, which was definitely NOT a highlight, Price sat on the couch and took online classes in the company of her two dogs, a Great Pyrenees named Astro and a Golden Retriever named Travis.
While the transition to full-blown distance learning was successful for Price, it was not all together satisfying. Price is a people person. She was an intern for the College of Business' social media team, an officer with the Community Assistant Honors Council with Residence Life and an officer with SFA's interdepartmental Advertising Club. As a senior, she was accustomed to seeing a lot of familiar faces in class and in the halls. The unceremonious separation was acute.
"For me, one of the reasons I love SFA is that you can make close connections with professors and the people in your classes," she said. "The years I spent on campus were the best years of my life. I was deeply saddened that I wouldn't be returning to classes and spending my final days as a student in Nacogdoches."
For more information on the Management and Marketing department at the Rusche College of Business, please contact Dr. Matthew Lindsey at lindseymd@sfasu.edu or 936.468.1858.