Minna Yamasaki
Senior, Business Administration (Marketing), Economics Minor
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
The Lundquist College of Business is the perfect place for me, where all my interests come together and I can explore amazing career options.
I've always been interested in brand strategy and how companies differentiate themselves from their competitors. The creative aspect of marketing is what really made me become a marketing major. And I am particularly interested in sustainability in the fashion, technology, or food industries.
We do a lot of experiential, or hands-on, learning in the business college. We learn a lot in classrooms applying concepts from textbooks and readings, but it is super-helpful to interact with professionals outside of the business school who have careers in marketing, accounting, or finance.
For example, in our Leadership and Communication course, we worked with local businesses like Falling Sky, Sushi Pure, and Izakaya Oyazi. These were real-world clients that we were able to work with and consult with. I learned a lot.
Also, last winter, 16 of us from the Lundquist College went to San Francisco for four days and we visited four companies—Slack, BlackRock, Roku, and Pac-12 TV Networks. We connected with UO alumni, and we were able to ask questions and get a sense of their industries, companies, and work life. It was a great way to explore career paths and get a glimpse of life after college.
The best part was seeing people who are relatively close to my age, still in their 20s, but they have had such amazing careers so far already and were willing to share their experience and advice with us.
And it’s not just the connections with alumni that are amazing. It’s also the relationships I’ve made here with other students, especially in the Business Honors Program. We’re a tight, supportive, and like-minded group. I know I’ve made lifelong connections here.
Connect with Minna and follow the Lundquist College of Business on LinkedIn. #LearnByDoing