Northwood University American Marketing Association students earned an award for exemplary performance in professional development, fundraising and communications at the American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans.
“This was the first Northwood University AMA Chapter award since 2016, and I couldn’t be more proud of this group of students,” stated Dr. Andrew Anderson, assistant marketing professor for Northwood University.
Over 600 pitches were delivered during the April 11-13 competition in New Orleans, Louisiana. Three NU students — Jaleigh Beckert, Christopher Escalate, and Bella Smylie — were finalists in the pitch competition, and each earned an honorable mention.
“This was my first AMA conference experience,” stated Beckert, a junior from Westerville, Ohio. “I competed in three events, worked alongside an amazing group of people that supported each other, and made new connections with our team and students from other universities.”
“This was an experience that opened many doors,” added Escalante, a junior from Oxford.
Smylie, a freshman from Clare, noted that she had gained a lot of new knowledge and built her professional network.
Ben Muxlow, a Brown City/Madison Heights junior majoring in management information systems (MIS) with a minor in marketing, said this was the third sales competition he has participated in since transferring to Northwood University from a community college.
“The AMA conference sparked a competitive drive in me that has me eager to return and represent Northwood again next year,” Muxlow noted.
Northwood AMA Chapter President Julian Lee, of Macomb, worked hard over the past year to position the chapter as a competitive force within this competition.
“Last year, I was one of only two Northwood students that attended the AMA conference,” he said. “As president, I made a goal to recruit and develop a team that could compete with the largest universities across the globe. In 2024, we made our mark with three finalists in the pitch competition and our first chapter recognition award. We look forward to 2025, when we will return with a humble but hungry mindset focused on setting up our chapter for further success.” For more information about the experiential learning opportunities available through the Northwood University American Marketing Association, email Professor Anderson at .
