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Share thisMichael McGinnis '11 (Marketing) - From Roberts to Dixon Schwabl
As an undergraduate at Roberts, Michael McGinnis ’11 was intrigued by agency work since introduced to it by Professor Bill Todd. Professors Bill Todd and Carrie Starr (both from the School of Business) provided opportunities and experiences that helped shape his start into marketing. “Professor Todd allowed me to pursue my nontraditional marketing interests, he never hindered me,” said Michael. Professor Todd introduced Michael to Dixon Schwabl, a full-service advertising, public relations and digital media agency, through touring the agency as a student and working with their public relations team with Enactus. He shared that Professor Carrie Starr helped prepare him for a career by giving him practical, real-life experience through Enactus and constant encouragement. “I’ll never forget one of the first interactions I had with her; she had mentioned a book that I wanted to read and without thinking twice, she left campus, grabbed the book from her house and handed it to me 45 minutes later. I told that story on every prospective tour I ever gave at Roberts,” Michael said.
Michael shared that he chose Roberts for the Christian environment, marketing program, having the city nearby and to play basketball and soccer. When asked about his four years at Roberts, Michael said “I feel I learned to open up to not only answers, but the ability to question and continue progressing in a never ending process of learning I grew spiritually too through creating my own view. I pushed and pulled, bended and stretched my faith – it was an exercise in strengthening my faith and my core beliefs.” Michael’s parents, Merl and Angela are both Roberts graduates and his brother Aaron is a current student and will graduate in May 2016.
Michael also shared a funny memory that was made during his junior year, when a secret group of about 100 students gathered together with headphones at the library. They all went to the library café and turned on their iPhones and iPods and had a silent rave for eight minutes in the middle of everyone studying and doing homework. On the outside, it looked silent and very strange because all the music was inside the headphones. But to the students who “were in on it,” they danced their hearts out and then left in complete silence. “It was awesome and supremely confusing to all not involved!” said Michael.
In his role on the agency’s interactive team at Dixon Schwabl, he helps manage and coordinate all things digital: websites, email blasts, banner ads and landing pages as well as search engine optimization and digital analytics. His current clients include Hargray Communications, YourCare Health Plan, MCC and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester. Michael, a Myers-Briggs personality type ENFP the enthusiast, shared that being at Dixon Schwabl is a "God thing. It feels right here.”
His advice for current students interested in a career at an agency is “Do stuff!” That is, go out and try whatever interests you. If you like podcasting, make a podcast. Websites? Make a website. Videos? Make a video. The more you have to show the better off you’ll be.
Michael’s hope for the next 150 years would be to keep building upon the Roberts legacy, to continue the trajectory and to leave the world better than where we began.
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