Senior advertising major pitches media campaign in the nation's capital
Chris Quintero is a senior advertising major with a knack for all things media. Throughout his time at UT, he’s been involved in the TexasMedia sequence and gained extensive internship experience.
This past summer, Chris and teammate Miguel Zapata, senior marketing major, were one of six teams chosen to participate in the final round of a case competition put on by the Washington Media Scholars Foundation. The Washington Media Scholars Foundation (WMSF) is a nonprofit dedicated to providing students firsthand knowledge of the media industry with a focus on public policy.
Every year, the competition invites students nationwide to plan media buying, reallocate large budgets and present their ideas to a panel of media professionals.
Starting to have flashbacks to 345J Foundations of Media Planning yet?
As finalists in the competition, Chris and Miguel were flown up to DC to present their plan to a panel of media professionals. While in DC, the students explored countless media outlets and agencies. After days of company visits and DC explorations, they officially presented their plan. Getting to explore companies like Politico, Univision, NBC and The Washington Post made the competition not only about media skills, but also opportunities to network and grow.
The networking experience presented to Chris and Miguel was one of a kind. Speaking with media professionals at office visits and happy hours allowed the students to explore real world options in DC. As a result, Miguel discovered an internship opportunity at the Washington Post he took later in the summer.
“We definitely appreciated the unique opportunity to showcase our media skills,” Chris explained, “but I would have to say the most rewarding part of the experience was meeting influential people that were truly interested in getting to know you.”
Registration for the 2015 WMSF case competition is now open. With questions about competition specifics or the experience as a whole, contact Chris or Miguel.
