Garrett Swenson
After learning from ambassadors and the Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing website that the Student Advisory Board is an integral part of the TJL Center, I applied. I wanted to be part of SAB so that I could help develop fellow Retailing and Consumer Sciences students into the kinds of students that current and prospective corporate sponsors want to hire. Being selected to serve on the Student Advisory Board coincides with my first semester in the RCSC professional program and I am thrilled to be able to engage to both pursuits.
What a long, strange trip it’s been. After taking a circuitous route to the RCSC program, I have finally found a major that excites me. Last year, I served as manager for the MyTown Music project for the UA Students In Free Enterprise team. I also help the company outside of the realm of SIFE, shifting from event planning to my current position of market research analyst. Having been a part of the company since it was founded, I take great pride in its local and national successes. To me, this means providing students with a relevant and enriching music education experience. Last summer, I was the first marketing intern at Miles Conrad Encaustics, an art supply store that recently opened in Tucson as an extension of Mr. Conrad’s gallery. My contributions to streamlining the company’s online presence to match its in-store presence means providing Mr. Conrad, and interns to follow, with the framework to make MCE a much larger brand than it is now.
As a result of working for these two businesses, I have come to the realization that customer service research behavior is supremely valuable. Studying consumers in my hometown has been a humbling experience and has influenced me to want to pursue a career in the market research industry after graduation in May of 2012.
Corporate Liaison: Farm Bureau Financial Services and Deloitte Consulting LLP
Student Liaison Contact
gswenson@email.arizona.edu