Media & Analytics Track Interview with Madison LeJeune

Why did you want to go to UT for your master’s degree?

I wanted to go to UT because they are the #1 advertising graduate program in the country. I wanted to learn from the best.

Why did you choose the Media and Analytics track?

Lisa Dobias told me once that she is creative but not a creative, and that really resonated with me. This path is a little more strategic and analytical and I feel like that best suits me.

What is your favorite part of Media and Analytics?

My favorite part has been getting the opportunity to be taught by industry professionals who have so much experience and have worked with really cool brands. They are so knowledgeable, and it’s inspiring to learn from people who are really good at what they do. 

What’s your favorite class you’ve taken so far?

My favorite class has been Account Planning with Michael Dezso. In that class, we were taught how to make creative briefs and learned more about what it’s like to work as an account planner. This class was my favorite because we got to work on a campaign for Porsche, where someone on Porsche’s creative team came to judge our work. It was really cool to receive feedback from an industry professional who works for a brand as big and cool as Porsche.

What is your best advice for graduate students who don’t know which track is right for them?

Be open-minded and true to yourself and your passions. I think sometimes it’s easy to want to go a certain direction because everyone is. For me, when a lot of my friends went on the creative track, I had the feeling of wishing I had gone in the same direction. But now looking back, I’m glad I didn’t. I feel like I am where I’m supposed to be. I would tell first-year grad students to give everything a shot that first semester to really see what they like and where they fit in. Don’t go in narrow-minded because you could surprise yourself.