Azita Peters
Graduation Year:
May 2020
Tell us about yourself, what you're involved in, and how you practice marketing outside of the classroom:
I am from Vienna, Virginia and have two older brothers who are Hokies and a cousin who just transferred to Tech.
I’m an active member of Alpha Delta Pi and the Student Hokie Club Leadership Council. You might find me at McComas teaching spin classes, or in the dining halls taking pictures of my meals (follow me on Instagram @azitapeters).
I love meeting other Hokies, so I try to get involved in as many activities as I can at Tech. I am a coach in the Communication Lab on campus, where I get to connect with students to help them practice and develop public speaking skills. Being able to help others develop their presentation skills ultimately helps them feel more confident to market themselves. Teaching cycle on campus at McComas enables me to encourage others to reach their fitness through motivation. I use social media to share class times that I will be instructing and enjoy engaging with riders to get song recommendations. Outside of the classroom I’ve been fortunate to be a brand ambassador for some great companies including Pearson, Kaplan and Alex & Ani.
Over the summer I had the honor to intern for Flags of Valor and presented at Georgetown University on the benefits of building a Brand Ambassador program as a component of digital marketing strategy.
Why did you pick marketing?
I grew up hearing about marketing and digital strategy around the dinner table. My dad owned a web agency for 20 years so I learned early about the benefits of digital engagement, and concepts such as user experience and customer journey mapping.
When I was choosing a major I decided on marketing because I’ve seen the impact strong brands and engagement have on businesses and society. Marketing lets me leverage my creative skills and dive deep into analytics to positively impact the lives of customers and communities.
Biggest takeaway from the marketing programs:
The marketing department strives to connect students with unique opportunities and experiences through guest speakers and events. The Virginia Tech Marketing professors are invested in marketing students and want to help us develop strong foundations for internships and future careers in marketing.
Having gained industry insight from the guest speakers and business professionals since my freshman year, I have been able to better understand the various career opportunities where marketers can thrive.
Pamplin alumni are proud to share their experiences and networks in order to help us grow and continue to represent Virginia Tech proudly upon graduating.
Through a renowned Pamplin study abroad program, I was able to take 18 class credits while living in Lugano, Switzerland during the Spring 2019 semester. This experience was incredible as I was immersed in various cultures during my travels to broaden my perspective as I was constantly inspired by my surroundings.
What type of marketing career are you pursuing?
I dream big! Ultimately I am looking for a career which will allow me to continue to learn and grow. I’ve built up a high degree of expertise in social media and I would love to continue to be an influencer. I’m also excited about Big Data, Data Analytics and the Internet of Things (IoT). New technologies are bringing about rapid change and I hope to be part of a team that is using marketing to leverage technology for the benefit of humankind.
Virginia Tech has given me a great education and has allowed me to learn a tremendous amount about marketing through classroom studies, internships and student organizations such as PRISM, where I’ve been able to gain incredible experience in the world of marketing and advertising.
When I joined PRISM as a social media team member, I created content and captions for our social media channels. Now I am an account strategist for the PRISM account where I work alongside other creatives to develop the organization’s brand voice and design campaigns to reach new audiences. Professor Wertalik and our PRISM advisors give students great opportunities to learn and grow and I encourage anyone interested in Marketing to choose the Marketing program at VT. Ut Prosim.