b'EXPERIENCE-CENTERED LEARNINGVisualization and actualization. Terms that boil downEagerness can be a natural feeling of a dedicated to the feeling of being seen and understood. Throughindividual, but its also nurtured through advisement. seven semesters, I ventured through lectures, classFor example, in every class period, my colleagues exercises and guest speakers that instigated deepand I were advised by Professor Essing on how to FROM CLASSROOM dives into the marketing craft. Yet, they never fullyhandle conflicts professionally or invited to brain-sparked my personal career aspirations of creativestorm ideas on creating deliverables for that weeks director and digital marketer. project. Our questions were always welcomed and TO CAREER Its funny how the most impactful opportunitieseagerly answered. sometimes appear without warning. An unexpectedWith each passing week, we completed more of the twist arrived during the solidification of my finaloutlined tasks and became more acquainted with semester courses: It arrived with a ping in my Outlookeach other as teammates.appa message from Assistant Teaching Professor In my previous encoun-Students were the driving force behind the creation of the Digital MarketingKatie Essing about an upcoming digital immersionters with group projects,Digital Marketing Immersion was Immersion course at the Trulaske College of Business in Spring 2024. course. After a few minutes of contemplation andwe were the textbookmy favorite class, a culmination Inspired by the overwhelming success of the Digital Marketing Certificate, facultyconfirmation that the class would fit in my courseload,definitionofpolite I emailed her back that I was interested.of my college experience and a recognized the need for a hands-on, immersive experience that would allowcolleaguesminimal students to not only learn but also apply digital marketing techniques in real- By January 2024, I was an experienced student ofsmall talk and a commit- final learning lesson from my most world scenarios. During initial brainstorming sessions, the faculty identified that aProfessor Essings, and I anticipated her friendly andmenttoacommonenriching professor. growing number of student entrepreneurs could greatly benefit from a pro-bonoeager introduction to the class. On the first day ofgoal. Ironically, Digital marketing team.the semester, I found myself on the edge of my seatMarketingImmersionAllie DavisThe result? A course that delivers a win-winproviding digital marketing studentsin a small first-floor Cornell Hall classroom, waitingfeatured no textbook, with practical experience while supporting budding entrepreneurs.to learn more about this course of digital mystery.which prompted a closer relationship with my team- The first-day agenda included the routine inauguralmates. We were aware of each others weekly plans, Taught by Assistant Teaching Professor Katie Essing, the Marketing Depart- ongoing interviews for jobs and even the everyday ments Digital Marketing Immersion course goes beyond traditional classroommeetings with groupmates and icebreakers. But thisannoyances of continuing to evolve as adults. Ulti-learning, pushing students to apply their knowledge on real digital platforms.time, our icebreaker deviated from the regular Givemately, we grew to genuinely care about each other Its mission is clear: to equip students with the skills they need to meet the digitalyour name, year and a fun fact, to a real immersionand remained deeply committed to our client. The marketing challenges of their future careers. The curriculum covers essential areasinto each others interests, ranging from favoriteidea of being hell-bent on each individual accom-like website development, podcasting, paid and organic social media, contentmoments during winter break to post-graduationplishing their responsibility disappeared and true creation, and photography and videography. plans and aspirations. In just a few minutes, we knewcollaboration awoke. more about each other than most students following The format of the Digital Marketing Immersion course is modeled after thea typical first-day icebreaker. Most reflections retell the writers favorite moment, colleges BA3500 course, in which students work in small teams, acting as agen- and this one is no different. As I mentioned, wed cies for real clients. In this immersive experience, nine companies presentedAfter the first week of classes, it was obvious thatbeen introduced to professionals in podcasting, to a room full of student teams, each hoping to be selected for the valuableDigital Marketing Immersion would be a course Istorytelling, photography and video. Therefore, we consulting support these students could provide. In the end, five companieswould look forward to. The syllabus promised real- were tasked with trying our hand at each. When were selected, many of which were founded by Mizzou student entrepreneurs.life experiences, consulting for a clients marketingchoosing which area we wanted to dive into, I let Allie Davis, B.S.B.A. 24 One of the selected clients was the Trulaske College of Business itself.needs, an exploration of career paths with experi- my love of talking lead me to podcasting. I spent The course also featured a variety of expert speakers who offered insight onenced professionals and workshops from industrytime interviewing our client, finding sound effects relevant topics, providing students with the support they need while working withthought leaders. and audio and clipping it all together to deliver a their clients. The experience culminated in final presentations to the clients, duringI noticed that the doctrine for this course didntbehind-the-scenes look at how she developed Fisch which students offered recommendations for expanding or refining companymention a textbook, which I candidly admit is aFlips. An area where I always pondered my ability strategies in the digital landscape.dream come true for most students. When we leavebecame a new skill I wanted to nurture.Digital Marketing Immersion is part of the colleges commitment to experi- college, we want to be assured that we will be able toDigital Marketing Immersion was my favorite class, ence-centered learning, ensuring that all Trulaske students are career-readytackle the careers we choose and sometimes readinga culmination of my college experience and a final when they graduate. doesnt guarantee that. What does, however, is anlearning lesson from my most enriching professor. introduction to popular technologies and prac- More importantly, it felt like a launchpad for my forth-We asked Allie Davis, B.S.B.A. 24, to give us a front row seat to the inauguraltices. Each week, our Digital Marketing Immersioncoming career. It was an opportunity to develop an Digital Marketing Immersion course experience. Davis and her teammatesclass learned about trending topics like search engineongoing thirst for knowledge and confidence to dive worked with clothing brand Fisch Flips, founded by Clare Fischer, B.S.B.A. 24. optimization, content marketing and consulting bestinto my aspirations.practices.Considering my advancement to a consulting posi-tion post-graduation, I was excited to get familiar with necessary practices. When meeting our teams client, Clare Fischer, CEO and founder of upcycled denim retailer Fisch Flips, I was eager to assist her needs. 12 | TRULASKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS TRULASKE MAGAZINE 2024| 13'