NFL Testimonials
2026 Team
The biggest benefit to being on the Brand Marketing Team is the experience you gain from working as a full service agency. It is a very unique experience being able to work across multiple departments, and I feel as though it has made me a more well-rounded professional. After completing the experience, I feel like I am very prepared to go work in a real agency. I am also very grateful for all of the connections I have made. I have no doubt that all of my classmates will go on to do great things, and the relationships I have made will be very valuable in the future.
Kat O'Connor, President / Co-Director
The greatest benefit of being a member of the Brand Marketing Team was the real, high-stakes experience that I was able to gain in just two semesters. I had the ability to execute research, plan a suitable media strategy, manage timelines and budgets, and collaborate with a team of outstanding individuals. I feel extremely well equipped to enter the job market and confident in my abilities to understand complex marketing challenges. In my opinion, no other course at Pace University can better prepare you for a real world work environment.
Being a member of the Brand Marketing Team gave me real, hands-on experience in how an agency and team actually operate at a high level. As COO, I learned how to manage people, keep the team organized, and make sure that everything stayed on track given our deadlines. A big part of the value came from working through challenges. I had to figure out how to handle conflict, adjust when things didn’t go as planned, and still deliver results to the highest degree. I also invested a significant amount of time and effort, which strengthened my discipline, accountability, and ability to lead under pressure. Overall, it gave me a much deeper understanding of what it takes to run a team effectively and produce meaningful work that we can all be proud of.
Evan Kniola, Chief Operating Officer / Executive Producer
Sierra Vendas, Executive Director Owned Media
The greatest benefit of the Brand Marketing Team was the personal and professional growth that came with it. What made the experience very valuable to me was working alongside driven, creative, hard-working teammates who raised the bar for everyone. We challenged each other to think bigger, execute with detail, and consistently deliver our best work. The experience also deepened my passion for marketing. It gave me the opportunity to apply classroom concepts in a real-world scenario. There were moments when I’d be working on something for BMT and suddenly realize this is exactly what we learned in class. Other times, it would be the other way around where I would be in class and realize I’m learning about something I have already done in BMT without knowing it. Seeing theory and concepts come to life like that made the experience incredibly worth it for me. ​
The brand marketing team has given me a new perspective on the advertising world. Not only the things you need to do, but the skills you need to have. Also, being able to learn from one another and teach is something I did not expect, but I am pleasantly surprised. It felt like I was in a typical work environment and that gave me more confidence to complete my work. Now, I feel extremely confident in my working ability and the skills I now possess. This experience has been a whirlwind of emotions; I wouldn’t have it any other way. I feel ready to take on the world, and most importantly to start my career. If I hadn’t done it, I don’t think I would feel this way. I am so thankful for this amazing opportunity.
Gigi Milliken, Paid Media Executive Director /
Presentation Co-Director
Mikee Fua, Account Planning Co-Executive Director / Paid Media / Producer
The greatest benefit of being a member of the Brand Marketing Team was the challenge. In the beginning, I was intimidated to approach the campaign because it seemed daunting with this unclear ask from the client. I wondered how we were going to build a strong, original campaign in the timespan we had. However, it became an organized plan where each team member focused on a specific area, and the picture became clearer to me. It was nice being a department head because that was an additional challenge to manage. Through this process, I learned how to approach a campaign, create a plan for my team, and became close friends with all the members of the team in the end. It was a great experience that taught me about the discipline of advertising and producing video ads.
Ava McDermott, Creative Executive Director
While of course, there are amazing benefits with joining the team such as having those two years of industry experience, being able to work for a real world client and compete with many of the best schools in the nation, or being able to gain experience and knowledge and find your calling based on what area of marketing you wish to enter…there’s something else I find much more special than all the benefits I’ve listed. Connections. Creating deep and meaningful connections and friendships with a team who has each other's backs. People who understand what we go through, making similar sacrifices, going through the same experience and creating something amazing together. While you’ll get a multitude of benefits from joining the Brand Marketing Team, the connection you’ll get from your teammates is the most special benefit of all time.
Astrid Gales, Creative Member
The greatest benefit of being a member of the Brand Marketing Team was, without a doubt, the relationships I built with the people in my group. What started as just a class turned into something so much more meaningful. Spending so much time together whether it was brainstorming, problem-solving, stressing, or celebrating. It allowed us to really get to know each other on a deeper level. We didn’t just work alongside each other, we truly became a team, and honestly, it felt like a family by the end of it. Each person brought their own strengths, perspectives, and creative energy to the table. No two people thought the same, approached problems the same, or contributed in the same way and that’s exactly what made our team so strong. I learned how to step back and really listen, how to pull ideas from more creative thinkers, and how to trust others to lead in areas where they were strongest. It taught me that great work doesn’t come from one person doing everything, but from a group of people building something together. Beyond just the project itself, I gained something much more lasting. I built connections with people that I know I will stay in touch with, both personally and professionally. In an industry like marketing, those relationships are everything, and I feel confident knowing I now have a network of people I can learn from, collaborate with, and rely on in the future. I genuinely couldn’t have asked for a better group, and I know I wouldn’t have had this kind of experience without being part of the Brand Marketing Team
Brooke McClean, Creative Member
For me, the greatest benefit in being a member of the Brand Marketing Team was to get a full understanding of how an agency works together and how important communication between different departments is to get to the end goal. I would not have had this sort of experience just taking a marketing class. I now know what it is like to get an ask from a real client and how much time and effort it takes to develop a whole story through research, creative, and execution. I have learned what it is like to work on a team, what it is like to pick up where people have dropped off and to be able to lean on others when I drop off. The Brand Marketing Team has also taught be how important communication and relationships are in the workplace; it is not the goal to be best friends with everyone you work with but to have a relationship built on respect, mutual dedication, and open-mindedness is the best way to succeed on a team.
While there are many things I could name as benefits to being on the team, I think the greatest benefit was the connections I made throughout the team. While there have been boosts to my work ethic, ability to believe in the work I create, and overall general improvement of myself through this team, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this feat without the incredible team behind me. They pushed me to work as hard as they did and then some. Now, I have lots of people I can call upon for anything!
Aislinn Warlick, Creative Member
Bryana Yetman, Executive Co-Director Account Planning / Paid Media
Mikaela Regan, Creative Department
I think getting real life marketing experience was the greatest benefit. I was able to work behind the scenes of a commercial and get experience in casting and blocking film scenes. I also got to interview individuals for a survey, fostering my communication skills. The research we did in the beginning of the semester was also extremely helpful for future research purposes; now I know what to look for and how to analyze it! In addition, the connections and true friendships I’ve made while part of the team will be forever, and I cannot wait to connect with alumni and continue to network.
One of the biggest benefits of being part of the Brand Marketing Team was how much I was able to learn in such a short period of time. Over the course of eight months, I developed a strong understanding of working under deadlines and collaborating effectively as a team to achieve the best possible outcome. I also learned how to take input from others, adapt quickly, and use it as a way to continuously improve both personal work and the overall campaign. Most importantly, I had the opportunity to work alongside an incredibly talented and inspiring group of people, which made the entire experience even more valuable.
Gianna Joyce, Creative Member
Carlotta Ricciotti, Director Earned Media / Account Planning / Producer
I feel like the greatest benefit in being a member of the Brand Marketing Team is the amount of hands-on experience that you get that would be just like an agency. When I first joined the team, I knew that it would require a lot of effort and hands-on executions. I was scared that I wouldn’t deliver what was needed and be the perfectionist that I needed to be. However, looking back at my experience with the team, I realized that I had shaped into being a professional and leaned on my department for support, and that really helped make this whole experience enjoyable and rewarding. Seeing how my department was putting in all the efforts they could to really execute these ideas is what motivated me to be hands-on and act like we were an agency. The amount of revision and constantly working through ideas was something that I had never experienced previously. It truly showed me how an agency works and how that it is a constant uphill battle to the top. This experience pushed me to continuously think of new ideas/strategies and how to execute them; it also taught me how to be a great leader for your team. No other club, internship, or even class has the same level of effort, drive, and gained knowledge that you get from the Brand Marketing Team. I am so thankful that I did this experience and that it helped to shape me into who I am professionally.
The greatest benefit for me was the collaboration aspect. Joining the team halfway through the year came with some challenges, but it pushed me to find my place on the team and truly collaborate with everyone so I could catch up on what had been done already. I was able to work with many different team members and become more adaptable than ever. Moving from AP to Media and then the production team gave me a well-rounded understanding of the process and the case. Developing the ability to be flexible in collaboration and take on different roles is something that I will carry with me beyond this experience
Chaitanya Santosh, Executive Director Media
Lexi Krakowski, Account Planning / Paid Media
Being a member of the Brand Marketing Team gave me the chance to work with individuals whose knowledge of business and marketing exceeded that of my typical peers. My fellow team members truly committed themselves to our work and brought extensive marketing knowledge and experience. Their dedication and experience gave me great confidence in our ability to produce high-quality work without worry. While the prestige of joining the AAF/NSAC is a benefit, I believe the greatest advantage lies in the connections I built with my teammates. This experience created a network in which I understood each individual’s specialty, could rely on them for help, and they could do the same with me
Lukas Martello, Creative Member
One of the greatest benefits of this experience was the opportunity to build a professional
community at Pace and connect with like-minded, motivated individuals who pushed me to
grow. Beyond the relationships and friendships I built, I gained hands-on experience that
strengthened my problem-solving and planning skills in a real-world, fast-paced environment. It
also gave me the chance to develop new skills in areas like production and graphic design,
which expanded my understanding of the creative and strategic sides of marketing and
advertising.
Oumou Diallo, Creative Member
I believe the greatest benefit was being able to work with different kinds of people and finding ways to deal with them. It was also refreshing to work in-depth on a real large-scale campaign. Although this was a tough campaign, I am glad we we made a campaign we believed in.
Sargam Chaturvedi, Creative Member