alum

Kellie Nebiker '12

Business Administration—Marketing | New York City

Activities and Clubs

Alpha Lambda Delta Freshman Honor Society, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society (president), Stein Fellow for International Experience

Where I’m headed:

After Commencement, I’m headed back to New York City to resume my duties as advertising and sales assistant of beauty and fashion at O, The Oprah Magazine.

The job came about as a result of a relationship I developed with Leah Wyar ’00. I met Leah, beauty director at Cosmopolitan magazine, one Monday afternoon in November when she came to speak on campus. At the meeting I took notes, and after it concluded, I walked up to Leah, handed her my résumé and business card, and told her I would love to talk about internship or employment opportunities with Cosmopolitan.

One random Thursday in January, I received an email from Leah asking if I would like to intern for Cosmo if I was able to get college credit for it. I worked it out with Susquehanna and Cosmo, and scheduled a start date as an editorial beauty intern.

From day one, I was determined to be the best intern they had ever seen. I networked whenever I got the chance, gave out as many business cards as I could, and talked with Cosmo employees on every level, from the mail carrier to the publisher.

During weekly Cosmo University sessions, I took advantage of the speakers and spent time after each session talking about career opportunities. The last Cosmo U session I attended was with a woman from the publishing side of the company named Mary Quinlain. After the session, she asked for my résumé and told me to apply for the advertising and sales assistant position at O, The Oprah Magazine.

The next morning I applied online, and within a half hour, I got a phone call. I had three interviews that day and was asked to come in the following Monday for two more interviews. I was offered the position the next day. It was an incredibly fast process, but it was something I knew I wanted, and I wasn't going to let the opportunity pass me by.

What I’ll miss most about Susquehanna

The thing I will miss most about Susquehanna is the people. There is a sense of camaraderie among the students and professors that make it a great environment to learn, work and play in. You can't get that at a big school. You can't get that at a lot of small schools either. It's unique in its own way.

What being a Susquehanna alumna mean to me

Being a Susquehanna alumna means it is now my turn to give back. After being given countless opportunities within the Susquehanna community, throughout the United States, and internationally, I feel it is finally my time to help students fulfill their potential in whatever way I can while also giving recognition to this incredible university.