DMAWEF
DMAW Educcational Foundation
DMAW Educational Foundation
by
Chris Gleason
DMAW~EF Board member Chris Gleason thought readers would be
interested to hear what DMAW-EF's Swain Scholarship winners
are up to since graduation. Here, Chris catches up with
Megan Miles.
Megan Miles, the 2009 recipient of the John Swain Memorial
Direct & Interactive Marketing Scholarship, credits the
real-world experience she received in her marketing courses
at Christopher Newport University for helping to prepare
for her future career.
In addition to winning the Swain award, Megan was a member
of the CNU team led by Dr. Lisa Spiller that took home the
first-place Gold Award in this year's DMAW~EF Collegiate
MAXI competition. The MAXI challenge in 2009, sponsored by
Scholastic Inc., was designed to increase awareness of
Study Jams!, an elementary school online program. The
challenge required student teams to create a marketing plan
that incorporated both direct and interactive distribution
channels. Pat Silver, president of Silver Marketing, Inc.,
who headed the Collegiate MAXI judging team said Megan's
four-student team produced "far and away the most
impressive one from a wide range of great entries. They had
extensive research, as well as unique creativity."
Megan currently is attending the University of Richmond
School of Law and hopes to eventually work as a corporate
attorney. Still, she said it was Dr. Spiller's CNU
Marketing Capstone course that sparked an enduring interest
in direct marketing.
The class was unique in that Spiller brought business
professionals into the classroom to present students with
real-world marketing challenges. Working in teams, the
students devised workable, measurable marketing solutions
that were presented to those visiting "clients" for comment
and feedback.
"All of the real-world professional experience gained from
that course gave me the experience of being a professional
in the marketing profession with time limits, a 'boss,' and
serious professional requirements," Megan said.
After law school, Megan says she'd like to remain involved
in the direct marketing world and be a contributing member
of DMAW. "The student direct marketing group at CNU was an
invaluable organization that allowed me awesome networking
opportunities through networking receptions and direct
marketing speakers from the VA-DC area."
And although she's not currently in the market for a job,
Megan listed the skills she considers essential for any new
direct marketing hire. "I believe computer skills are
critical to direct marketing today. Direct marketing
professionals must have competencies in online networking,
electronic communications, electronic presentations and
proposals, and computer design for marketing materials.
This may be a great reason why recent college graduates are
a great investment for direct marketers that are hiring."
And of course, Megan notes that there's just no substitute
for experience: "Straight As in a program in which there
was little-to-no real-world experience, in my opinion, is
worth much less than the real-world experience I gained at
CNU."
Anybody out there looking for a direct marketing attorney?
Megan could be just the right pick!
Chris Gleason, new to the
DMAW Educational Foundation board of directors, is
president of Servant Marketing Group in Leesburg, VA. Reach
Chris at 703-581-5579, 703-771-0266 or
directmailer@gmail.com.