Sustainable Marketing: Student Virginia Corradini
Born and raised in Rome, Virginia is a senior Marketing major and Economics minor at JCU. She is part of the Marketing Club and an Orientation Leader. Virginia studied abroad for a Summer Session at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark and she is planning on going back to pursue a master’s in the Business Analytics field. She has also been working with the local brand GRABees for a year, helping them create their brand identity, promote their mission of safeguarding bees, and practice sustainable marketing.
Student Virginia Corradini
What brought you to JCU?
After having studied abroad in the United States (Cosby High School in Midlothian, Virginia) during my 4th year of high school, I realized that the American education system worked better for me. Italian school taught me how to study and how to manage stress, but the American system seemed more suitable for me. Also, I wanted to study marketing. John Cabot gave me the opportunity to earn a degree in marketing in just 3 years. Italian universities require students to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Economics before they can access a marketing graduate program.
You are Marketing Brand Manager at GRABees, an initiative that supports urban beekeeping. Can you tell us more about the business and your experience working there?
I fell in love with the concept of GRABees the moment I heard about it. The company produces honey by keeping and protecting bees in the archaeological parks of Rome. It is the first start-up in Italy to approach the European trend of urban beekeeping, which consists of placing hives in the city. On top of that, GRABees works closely with the Environmental Department of the city of Rome to help sustainability and to monitor the pollution levels of Rome.
As the project started, GRABees was looking for someone passionate about the cause and with some branding skills, so I decided to apply. It seemed like a great opportunity to experience the birth of a real start-up and to practice the topics I studied in class while doing something good for my community.
You volunteer at Baobab Experience, an organization that works with migrants, and you’re an Immigration Assistant at JCU, while also attending classes. What’s one time management tip that you would give to students?
Lots of planning. Also, you need to care. There is no way you’ll be able to do multiple things together if you’re not interested in them. It’s all about finding a way to make things fit in the best way possible. Relaxing is also something that many forget. It’s okay to be an overachiever and to want to be as busy and involved as possible, but rest is key.
Tell us about your experience attending a Summer Session at Copenhagen Business School.
Studying at CBS was probably the best decision I ever made. After years of studying in Italian schools, and after experiencing the American system, both in the US and here at John Cabot, the Danish system opened my mind even more. I took the ‘International Marketing Management’ and the ‘Strategy and Consumer Behavior’ courses. The thing that impressed me the most is the organization and the overall efficiency of the city of Copenhagen. Everything worked smoothly, everyone was always on time, the streets were extremely clean, and the university buildings left me speechless. Although I only stayed for a Summer Session, Copenhagen will always have a place in my heart, and I will always remember it as one of the best experiences of my life.
What are the advantages of studying marketing?
I think that marketing is one of those fields that will never die, or at least that will not die anytime soon. We live in a consumerist and globalized society, there are always needs to satisfy, which means that there will always be work for a marketer. I also believe that marketing is an extremely diverse field. It comprises many different subjects, such as economics, statistics, communications, computer science, and lots of consumer psychology. The marketing field is so broad that it allows you to shape your career path according to your interests and it is flexible. In fact, marketing is necessary in many different fields, from big companies to non-profit organizations or small local brands and shops.
What classes have given you the most in terms of personal enrichment?
Although not required by my major, I would say ‘Business Ethics’ with Professor Thomas Bailey was the class that really had me thinking the most, and ‘New Product Management’ with Professor Pietro Paganini. During the course the students in my team and I were able to develop and write a full marketing report for a new product offer, following the process step by step as one would do in the workplace.
What are your plans for the future?
I would like to continue my studies and pursue a master’s in the Business Analytics field. The goal would be to become either a market analyst or digital marketing specialist, possibly in the travel industry and for a company that prioritizes the practice of sustainable marketing.
What advice would you give to incoming JCU students?
Be open and find the time. Be open, because John Cabot allows you to get exposed to many cultures and diverse ways of thinking. People grow up with different traditions and beliefs, and an open mind allows you to look at them with curiosity, to learn from them and realize that the world is actually bigger than one thinks. Find the time, because college is just a part of our lives, and we need to make the most out of every single moment. Try new things, meet new people, enroll in challenging classes, and discover yourself through all the opportunities that JCU and Rome give you.
