Katelyn Clay, ’19, got a preview of UL Lafayette before actually enrolling. During her junior year in high school, she visited her sister, who was a student at UL Lafayette.
“I went to all of her classes as if I were a student and fell in love with the University,” she said. “The culture is what immediately drew me in and after researching the College of Business Administration’s program, I knew this was the university I wanted to attend.”
Katelyn reached out to a professor in the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration, who then pointed her in the direction of the marketing program.
“After looking into it, I thought it was perfect for me: it was a career that was both analytical and creative,” she said.
For Kaitlyn, the professors were the best part about the marketing major.
“Our professors had so much passion for us and for what they taught,” she said. “They genuinely wanted to see us succeed and created plenty of opportunities for us to not only grow in the material but professionally as well.”
Outside the classroom, Katelyn took advantage of a student organization for marketing students and professionals.
“Beyond just my courses, I learned a lot during my time in the American Marketing Association,” she said. “I learned how to network, how to get a job and got to hear the keys to success from other professionals.”
Katelyn is currently an international associate brand manager at McIlhenny Company, the company behind the TABASCO® brand products. She transitioned into that role after interning with the company during her senior year internship.
“My internship was one of the most valuable experiences I had when I was at the University,” she said. “I got to work with professionals from all over the globe and take part in strategy meetings at the company level and at the national level.
“I was able to transition into a full-time role because of how hard I worked when I was an intern,” she said. “I was excited to be chosen among all of the applicants for my internship and I’m thankful to the University for providing internship opportunities at companies like this who are both global and local.”
