This week Campus’s Cutie is one of the leaders that represent our school and makes it a better place. Christian A. Ricks started off like many of us, unsure about what organizations to join and how to get involved. However, he took on the chance when it first appeared in front of him and now he’s the president of the highly-acclaimed FIUs chapter of the American Marketing Association. Leading AMA’s members into successful competitions and philanthropic events, Christian has demonstrated great leadership skills and dedication, which makes him more than a great candidate to be our Campus Cutie. What do you guys think?
Name: Christian A. Ricks
Age: 24
Hometown: Miramar, FL
Major/Minor: Marketing & International Business Minor in Hospitality Tourism and Management
Hobbies: Networking, Movies, Music, Basketball, Spending time with Family
Involvement: President of the American Marketing Association
How did you get involved with the AMA at FIU?
My marketing professor Birrittella offered me extra credit to join the club and I figured why not try it out. It ended up being one of the best decisions of my life. I quickly became a leader by joining a Pearson Integrated Marketing Communications national competition. I also joined the Women’s Fund project aimed at spreading awareness of how to help women who have gone through domestic violence. Seeing how much work other members put into community service and projects made me realize what I truly wanted in life. I wanted to live the marketing life. Overall I thank Professor Birrittella for getting me involved. His words of wisdom have pushed me to become the best young professional possible.
Relate your greatest, or most fun experience with the AMA?
My greatest moment was leading a project called AMA Saves Lives, which was sponsored by Donate Life America. I helped create a virtual and event driven campaign on campus that included 10 events, 60 videos and over 350 new organ donors. This was a national competition and we placed 2nd out of our 350+ chapters. It felt great knowing that I made a difference within the FIU community. At the 35th Annual AMA International Collegiate Conference, they showed our chapters philanthropic work in front of a student body of over 1,400. We also won first place in the best organ donation video competition bringing $1,000 back for Florida International University. It was a heartfelt moment in my life and it gave me a huge feeling of accomplishment.
How do you feel about bearing all the responsibility of being the president of such a renown organization?
Although it is a difficult responsibility I feel like I know this organization’s operations like the back of my hand. This is my fifth semester in the AMA and I know that I can help this organization grow more every moment that passes by.
What’s your dream job, and where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I have always dreamed of working within the Marketing Department of a major theme park like Disney, Universal Orlando, Cedar Fair, Six Flags, SeaWorld, etc. The memories that are created in theme parks are planted into our minds forever. Who does not have a cherished memory at Disney World? These vacation destinations provide a wonderful service to people all around the world and I would love to be part of a team that finds and brings in new customers.
What is one piece of advice that you would give to our fellow collegiette?
Get involved. You have amazing resources here on campus. Take advantage right now while you still have access to this vast network. You need to know what you want before graduating and the perfect way to prepare yourself is to get involved in student organizations.
Do you know someone who should be our next Campus Cutie? Find out how here!