April 01, 2018

By Emily Gibbs ’18

When Marisa Battiloro ’20 attended the recent Lamborghini Paramus and McLaren Bergen County (N.J.) visit organized for Susquehanna students, she already knew she was interested in securing an internship.

Battiloro, one of 14 luxury brand marketing and management majors on the trip, lives near Paramus. The car dealerships are part of the Prestige Family of Fine Cars, a third-generation, family-owned and -operated business founded in 1947. The company operates dealerships in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

Battiloro says it was eye-opening to learn what goes into selling luxury items.

“From talking to staff—the manager, sales representatives, marketing team and auto staff—I learned how each car is designed, sold and marketed differently. They value their customers and put their desires and needs first,” Battiloro says.

Upon the advice of Assistant Professor of Marketing Minjung Park, Battiloro took her résumé along. At the end of the visit, she introduced herself to Allie Lagomarsino, marketing manager at Prestige Motors, and kept in touch afterward. She was rewarded with an internship over winter break.

As an intern, Battiloro’s responsibilities included managing social media pages for the company and following up on customer reviews.

“This field is time-oriented, and time management was an important skill I learned,” she says. “Complications come up, and you need to be prepared to handle them.”

She says the internship solidified her passion for the luxury brand field. “It helped me truly understand the business world. I was able to see the little details in marketing that help companies sell their products.”

Battiloro is currently working toward an internship with Jaguar Land Rover in Mahwah, N.J.

Martin Pinter ’98, a Susquehanna Board of Trustees member who helped to organize the visit, says he participates in events such as this because he wants to show students that there are people who care and want to help them succeed.

“As a board member, what drives me is the great responsibility and passion we have to help the university in any way that we can,” Pinter says. “We are dedicated to offering opportunities that set Susquehanna apart from peer institutions, and creating an open line of communication for students to ask questions and get advice.”