Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville students took home top awards at the UW-Eau Claire American Marketing Association (AMA) 10th Annual Regional Conference. Brock Parker, a senior professional sales major, from Waukee, Iowa, took second place at the Northwestern Mutual Sales competition. Senior Dana Schmitz earned first place in the Rice Lake Weighing Systems Mock Interview and third place in the Enterprise Perfect Pitch competition. Five members of the UW-Platteville AMA chapter participated in the conference.
“It was good to practice my skills, and earning the awards boosted my confidence,” said Schmitz, an English major and marketing minor from Mineral Point, Wisconsin. “It’s important to have these experiences – to receive feedback and participate in these events. It gives you experience you’ll need in your professional career.”
Schmitz explained during the mock interview competition she met with a current Rice Lake Weighing Systems employee for 10 minutes and discussed why she would be the ideal marketing intern. During the Enterprise Perfect Pitch competition, Schmitz created a 60-90 second speech about herself, highlighting why she would be an asset to the company.
“There were two rounds for the Enterprise competition, 30 students in the first round and 10 were selected to move on. It was cool to present in front of the judges who were actual employees of Enterprise,” said Schmitz. “I had to do research on the [Rice Lake Weighing Systems] company. The position I could choose from was either a digital marketing intern or marketing specialist intern. I did that this past summer at my internship. The position was tailored to things I have already done. It was good to hear that my [internship] experience paid off.”
Outside of the competitions, Schimtz said she was able to network with business professionals and peers from across UW System. She acknowledged the benefits of learning how other universities organize their AMA chapters. Schmitz currently holds an E-board position with the UW-Platteville AMA branch.
“We have about 30 students in our club,” said Schmitz. “I enjoy going to these conferences because you get to meet students with the same professional interests – it’s about trying new things and not being afraid. It’s the biggest thing I have learned through the club.”
To learn more about the UW-Platteville AMA chapter, visit uwplatt.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/ama.