Mount Made: Tracking the Trends

7/15/2020

Alumna Carries Campus Experience into Career

Trendsetter—that’s just one word to describe Mount alumna Ciara Rosa ’15.

During her days on campus, Ciara was never afraid to express her unique sense of style. She could often be seen walking up Marillac hill sporting trendy jackets, parading through Founders Hall in chunky block heels, and advocating for her fellow classmates at Student Government Association (SGA) meetings in colorful blazers. Her passion for design served as an outlet for Ciara to express her creativity and it gave her the confidence she needed to rise to the top of her class.

But her ambitious fashion choices weren’t the only trends Ciara was setting.

Her pioneering ideas and enterprising attitude are what launched her career in the competitive (and stylish!) New York City marketing sphere.

After high school, Ciara was looking to expand her knowledge of marketing and public relations—a fierce industry full of networking and innovation. She found the Mount—a school not only close to home, but one recognized for its exceptional academic programs and unbeatable internship connections. She studied communication and even minored in business to give her resume that extra edge.

Ciara knew that landing a job in the marketing world would take much more than a stellar transcript—and Mount Saint Vincent knows that too. That’s why she began immersing herself in all the College has to offer—from extracurricular activities on campus to service initiatives with organizations throughout New York City.

“The Mount community is a place for opportunity and growth,” explained Ciara. “Everyone at Mount Saint Vincent—from the professors to the administrators to your peers—wants to see you succeed. And they give you the tools to do so.”

Finding a way to balance her busy schedule was no easy feat, but it gave Ciara a leg-up among her peers. She found that learning different time management strategies aided her tremendously when she began her career. While at the Mount, she joined several clubs on campus—including WORDS Performance Group—and was part of both the TRiO Student Support Services program and the Seton Service and Leadership program. Most notably, Ciara lead her classmates as SGA class president her senior year—all while setting trends both in and outside the classroom. This leadership position helped her not only build her resume, but provided her with the skills she would need to shape career.

“Serving on the Student Government Association and working on the TRiO Summer Orientation program gave me my first experience in event organization and marketing. I became familiar with advertising strategies when I created fliers and email notifications for club events, and I even learned how to balance a budget as the treasurer of Lambda Pi Eta—the National Communication Honor Society on campus.”

Following graduation, Ciara landed her first job with IQPC, a business-to-business events company. She stayed with IQPC through this past winter, after a promotion to Marketing Manager in 2017.

Ciara turned to her Mount professors to aid her in the application process. She was assigned a project as part of a final interview. The task was to create a marketing plan for a hypothetical event—a standard part of the interview process for marketing positions. Ciara looked to Instructor of Business and Economics Jonathan Rosenberg for guidance. Professor Rosenberg provided Ciara with advice and direction, which helped her land her first full-time job.

While working at IQPC, Ciara had the opportunity to further develop and refine her skills in event marketing alongside seasoned professionals. She created long-term marketing strategies, collaborated with both in-office teams and outside businesses, and even performed data analysis of several large-scale functions. But always looking to expand her experience and continue to set trends, Ciara jumped into a new endeavor.

Amidst a global pandemic, Ciara began a new position as the U.S. Marketing Manager for FT Live, the events branch of the Financial Times. And while many would hesitate to begin a new job during such uncertain times, Ciara was eager to jump into the challenge.

“The Mount helped prepare me for my career, so I was ready for this,” said Ciara. “The opportunities I was able to take advantage of helped me gain the skills and experiences I needed to excel. I knew I was ready to take the next step in my career, and I am grateful for all the College did to help me along the way.”

A typical day for Ciara involves team meetings and calls in the morning and afternoons filled with marketing campaign development—which consist of email, social media, and content marketing, as well as client profiling, data building, and copywriting.

And Ciara’s been sure to stay chic in quarantine fashion during Zoom calls with clients and her team.

Working in marketing has afforded Ciara the opportunity to be both creative and analytical. In her current position, she expresses her creative abilities through the targeted design of marketing materials, but also spends time looking at past and current performance data to drive her strategies and approach.

When reflecting on how she launched her career, Ciara always looks back on the time she spent at Mount Saint Vincent.

“My four years at the Mount helped develop me into the driven and goal-oriented person I am today.”

Ciara left the Mount feeling prepared to enter the next chapter in her life—and she left her own legacy on campus too. During her senior year, she was awarded the inaugural Independent Sector Student Community Service Award presented by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York (CICU). She was also honored with the Kimberly Kennedy-Sgammato Award for excellence, creativity, and technical expertise in the field of communication at the 2015 Hooding and Awards Ceremony and the Margaret Catterson McKee Award for volunteer service both on and off campus at the 103rd Commencement Exercises.

Trendsetting—Ciara’s always been one to stay on top of the latest news and events, and she’s not stopping anytime soon. She’s quickly climbing the ropes of the marketing world—not only styling her career, but her outfits too, of course!

Are you Mount Made? Do you know other alums carrying out the mission of the College? Let us know—we’d love to share how the Mount launched your career. Contact us to be featured!

About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of professional accomplishment, service, and leadership in the 21st century.