Although I am interested in Business in general, Marketing is my first choice for a major. I’m interested in this major specifically because it is flexible, competitive, in high demand, and will allow me to use my creativity to the fullest. Every company, large or small, needs marketing to help them achieve their goals and I know it would be rewarding to be a part of that. My first experience completing marketing tasks was in the 8th grade. I was the lead on a school project where we had to work with a local business to design a working website. We researched the business and met with the owners to get to know them, their vision, and their expectations. The challenging part was actually working as a team to interpret the owner’s vision, and our ideas and come up with a web design the business owner would be happy with. It took a few edits, but eventually, we were able to create a website the owner could use and was happy with. I was excited to finally be able to put some of my web coding skills to use! The more involved I became in clubs and organizations at school, the more interested in marketing I became. As a 10th-grade senator of Student Government and currently as the president of the Racial Alliance Collaborative Effort (RACE) club, I was able to plan, advertise, and execute events for the school as well as the school district with my team. Being a member of Student Leadership Dayton’s marketing committee has also given me many outlets to learn new marketing skills and demonstrate my capabilities. I created different advertisements on flyers, Quick Response codes, and Instagram stories and posts to promote this event. This annual conference has helped me tremendously in exercising my marketing skills and strategies. Last summer, I had the opportunity to complete an internship with a local web design and marketing agency called Catapult Creative. Through this internship, I had the wonderful opportunity to be an intern and work directly with the Chief Executive Officer to learn about marketing. I learned the basics of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis. They also taught me how to analyze advertisements, research, create a brand image, and how to write blog posts. These exercises were helpful because I took that knowledge and applied it to clubs and organizations I am a part of this year. When thinking about an ideal career, I am confident marketing is the best fit for me. I want to contribute and be part of an inclusive and empowering environment that will allow me to collaborate with people from all walks of life. My demonstrated skills in critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving have given me a head start. The career field is engaging, hands-on, and not monotonous. Marketing trends change all the time and I love that! I want to be excited every day to go to work and use different aspects of my creativity.

My name is Eva Gibson, I am a Senior at the Dayton Regional STEM School, and after high school I am hoping to get my Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. I am currently the president of my school’s Student Government Association, where we work to put on events for the school, and the president of my school’s Racial Alliance Collaborative Effort (RACE) Club, where we work to create a safe environment and inclusive environment through allyship. One obstacle I faced in elementary school correlates with feeling outcasted in the aspect of inclusivity and diversity. This is why I want to continue learning and being a champion of diversity in my school and community. From a young age I was made aware that I was one of a handful of minorities at my school. Once, a child refused to sit next to me on the bus in elementary school because he said “my skin was ugly and the color of poop”. That silly statement stuck with me and made me feel like an outcast not only because the other kids were laughing, but when I told the bus driver she acted as if I was the problem and it was not a big deal. From then on, I felt like an outcast, like I didn’t have a voice, and I didn’t have anyone at school to relate to. My parents saw how this and other issues were starting to affect my self-confidence and decided to enroll me in a school that actively championed and welcomed diversity. I immediately felt welcomed at the Dayton Regional Stem School (DRSS) when I arrived in the sixth grade! There were more people who looked like me in every class and everyone was encouraged to advocate for themselves. Almost immediately I noticed how much my teachers would call on me to lead my peers and did not use words like “opinionated” or “aggressive” to describe me. That was empowering for me! When I entered seventh grade and saw all the new students coming in, I wanted them to feel just as welcomed as I did and became involved in several clubs and programs at school to do just that. From then on, I have made sure to involve myself in student ambassador programs, planning committees, RACE Club, and Student Government. This way, I can make sure that everyone feels included and welcomed. I believe I’ve turned those negative experiences of feeling like I did not belong or have a voice into a positive outcome. I learned that I do have a voice that deserves to be heard and can have a positive impact on my community and school. My leadership experience and community involvement have not only helped me to learn about myself, but also the diverse group of people in my community. I pride myself on being a champion for diversity and inclusion and look forward to continuing to find ways to pursue that conversation and commitment in college.

The realization that I did not have to accept the negative stereotypes of being labeled as “aggressive” or “overly opinionated” sparked my personal growth. had heard these words from teachers at an early age. Though I didn't quite know what they meant, I knew it wasn’t good because the conversations at my parent-teacher conferences sometimes felt tense. It was also apparent by the way teachers would discourage me from speaking up. I made good grades and always tried to be helpful and polite, so I did not understand the treatment I was getting at school. I felt like an outcast, like I didn’t have a voice and I didn’t have anyone at school to relate to because I was one of only a handful of African American students. My parents saw how this was starting to affect my self-confidence and decided to enroll me in a school that championed and welcomed diversity. I landed at the Dayton Regional STEM School (DRSS) in the sixth grade and immediately felt welcomed! There were more people who looked like me in every class and everyone was encouraged to advocate for themselves. Almost immediately I noticed how much my teachers would call on me to lead my peers instead of labeling me as aggressive or opinionated. They showed me that there was nothing wrong with speaking up for myself and how to do that in a constructive way to be innovative and lead change. That was empowering for me! When I entered seventh grade and saw all the new students coming in, I wanted them to feel just as welcomed and empowered as I did. I started becoming involved in clubs and programs that allowed me to do just that. The summer before ninth grade, I was one of a handful of students picked to present at the International Project-Based Learning Conference in Columbus. This year I was asked to represent the DRSS student body at our annual Strategic Planning Committee with community partners. I have been involved in the Student Government Association for several years and currently serve as President. I am also an active Student Ambassador and member of the National Honor Society. I take pride in serving my community as an active member of Students Lead Dayton and a volunteer for Mission of Mary Cooperative where vacant lots are made into vegetable gardens for the community. For the first two years of high school, I was the varsity team captain for Fairborn High School’s Tennis team. I also work part time at Party City while maintaining a 3.95 grade point average. My favorite role is serving as the current President of the Racial Alliance Collaborative Effort Alliance or RACE club. The RACE club helps create a safe environment at DRSS where minority students have representation and can openly express their feelings. It’s my job to facilitate these discussions and also find ways to create allyship within the student body by creating events where students can learn more about race and diversity. Although some of the issues discussed are difficult, they are necessary to encourage change and I’m grateful to be a part of it! I believe I’ve turned those negative experiences of feeling like I did not belong or have a voice into a positive outcome. My leadership experience and community involvement have not only helped me to learn about myself, but also the diverse group of people in my community. I pride myself on being a champion for diversity and inclusion and look forward to continuing to find ways to pursue that conversation and commitment in college.

My name is Eva Gibson, I am a Senior at the Dayton Regional STEM School, and after high school I am hoping to get my Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. I am currently the president of my school’s Student Government Association, where we work to put on events for the school, and the president of my school’s Racial Alliance Collaborative Effort (RACE) Club, where we work to create a safe environment and inclusive environment through ally ship. One obstacle I faced in elementary school correlates with feeling out casted in the aspect of inclusivity and diversity. This is why I want to continue learning and being a champion of diversity in my school and community. From a young age I was made aware that I was one of a handful of minorities at my school. Once, a child refused to sit next to me on the bus in elementary school because he said “my skin was ugly and the color of poop”. That silly statement stuck with me and made me feel like an outcast not only because the other kids were laughing, but when I told the bus driver she acted as if I was the problem and it was not a big deal. From then on, I felt like an outcast, like I didn’t have a voice, and I didn’t have anyone at school to relate to. My parents saw how this and other issues were starting to affect my self-confidence and decided to enroll me in a school that actively championed and welcomed diversity. I immediately felt welcomed at the Dayton Regional Stem School (DRSS) when I arrived in the sixth grade! There were more people who looked like me in every class and everyone was encouraged to advocate for themselves. Almost immediately I noticed how much my teachers would call on me to lead my peers and did not use words like “opinionated” or “aggressive” to describe me. That was empowering for me! When I entered seventh grade and saw all the new students coming in, I wanted them to feel just as welcomed as I did and became involved in several clubs and programs at school to do just that. From then on, I have made sure to involve myself in student ambassador programs, planning committees, RACE Club, and Student Government. This way, I can make sure that everyone feels included and welcomed. I believe I’ve turned those negative experiences of feeling like I did not belong or have a voice into a positive outcome. I learned that I do have a voice that deserves to be heard and can have a positive impact on my community and school. My leadership experience and community involvement have not only helped me to learn about myself, but also the diverse group of people in my community. I pride myself on being a champion for diversity and inclusion and look forward to continuing to find ways to pursue that conversation and commitment in college.

My name is Eva Gibson, I am a Senior at the Dayton Regional STEM School, and after high school I am hoping to get my Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. I am currently the president of my school’s Student Government Association, where we work to put on events for the school, and the president of my school’s Racial Alliance Collaborative Effort (RACE) Club, where we work to create a safe environment and inclusive environment through ally ship. One obstacle I faced in elementary school correlates with feeling like an outcast in the aspect of inclusivity and diversity. This is why I want to continue learning and being a champion of diversity in my school and community. From a young age I was made aware that I was one of a handful of minorities at my school. Once, a child refused to sit next to me on the bus in elementary school because he said “my skin was ugly and the color of poop”. That silly statement stuck with me and made me feel like an outcast not only because the other kids were laughing, but when I told the bus driver she acted as if I was the problem and it was not a big deal. From then on, I felt like an outcast, like I didn’t have a voice, and I didn’t have anyone at school to relate to. My parents saw how this and other issues were starting to affect my self-confidence and decided to enroll me in a school that actively championed and welcomed diversity. I immediately felt welcomed at the Dayton Regional Stem School (DRSS) when I arrived in the sixth grade! There were more people who looked like me in every class and everyone was encouraged to advocate for themselves. Almost immediately I noticed how much my teachers would call on me to lead my peers and did not use words like “opinionated” or “aggressive” to describe me. That was empowering for me! When I entered seventh grade and saw all the new students coming in, I wanted them to feel just as welcomed as I did and became involved in several clubs and programs at school to do just that. From then on, I have made sure to involve myself in student ambassador programs, planning committees, RACE Club, and Student Government. This way, I can make sure that everyone feels included and welcomed. I believe I’ve turned those negative experiences of feeling like I did not belong or have a voice into a positive outcome. I learned that I do have a voice that deserves to be heard and can have a positive impact on my community and school. My leadership experience and community involvement have not only helped me to learn about myself, but also the diverse group of people in my community. I pride myself on being a champion for diversity and inclusion and look forward to continuing to find ways to pursue that conversation and commitment in college.