I first encountered Kelli Lampkin in early Fall 2009 when I joined the Student Life Cinema (SLC) Programming Committee. The 5’3 brunette, almost always dressed in business or business casual attire, was the SLC’s Special Events Coordinator. As such she nearly single-handedly organized and supervised all events held by both the Programming and Gaming Committees headquartered in the building. These events ranged from gaming tournaments, to Open Mic Night, to the always hectic and crowded Halloween showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show with Cheap Thrills, among a plethora of other occasions. For these events she often worked with outside groups to either help host or obtain prizes. In addition, Kelli, just a sophomore at the time, was also the Reel Coffee (now Grindhouse) manager. This year she has taken over Public Relations for the Programming Committee, overseeing all PR campaigns as well as the creation of all movie posters and schedules. Needless to say, Kelli Lampkin is a force to be reckoned with.
In addition to her work at the SLC, as well as pursuing degrees in Entrepreneurship, Professional Sales, and Management with a minor in French, this junior’s involvement reaches much further, both within and without the Florida State community. She is involved in several entrepreneurial groups on campus, including Students in Free Enterprise SIFE), Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO), and Young Entrepreneurs’ Society (YES). With SIFE, of which she is the current president, Kelli has helped mentor high school students on subjects such as marketing, finance, budgeting and leadership as well as headed the development and execution of the Environmental Sustainability Project. Kelli is also currently the Vice President of CEO, for which she creates promotional materials and invites local entrepreneurs to be guest speakers as well as sponsors of CEO events. Kelli is the former Vice President of YES, with which she created her own customizable trail mix company called Campus Mix as well as founded an advisory committee to help other students get their own businesses off the ground.
The list of Kelli’s accomplishments is nearly endless, from internships with major companies to winning entrepreneurial competitions to participating as a panelist for the events such as the Mentorship for Women in Business Conference. All of her pursuits don’t simply pad her resume, however. With all her jobs and entrepreneurial pursuits, from the competitions to scholarships, Kelli has been able to pay her own way through college without racking up any debt. Jealous, right?
However, Kelli Lampkin is not just a money making machine. Despite all her lucrative activities, Kelli says that her favorite thing she has done so far has been teaching a Freshman Interest Group (FIG) for new students interested in pursuing business. It seems that Kelli’s true passion lies not in business, but in teaching. This is why, Kelli tells me, she would like to pursue consulting in the future. To Kelli, consulting is the “business version of teaching,” teaching a business or individual not only how to be more profitable but simply how to be… well, better. This includes so much, from how to increase quality and efficiency to how to market yourself or your company and be more accessible to customers.
So what’s next in line for Ms. Kelli Lampkin? This summer Kelli will be participating in the Study Abroad Internship program in England, hopefully, she says, with the House of Commons. And after that? No matter what she chooses, I think we all know it’s bound to be something both ambitious and challenging.