Terrell follows his strengths to marketing industry
Marquis Terrell ’17 is using the experience he gained at The Cornellian and insight gained while studying psychology to pursue a career in marketing. He says that One Course At A Time helped him excel in college.
“In high school, I always felt like I was drowning in assignments and deadlines. One Course At A Time changed that. However, it also taught me how to work on a deadline. It taught me how to figure out a problem, solve it, and move on,” Terrell said, “One Course At A Time gave me real skills that I can take with me anywhere.”
Terrell says that he chose to come to college in Iowa from California to get a completely new experience.
“I grew up and went to school in large cities. I wanted to experience the opposite of that,” Terrell said. “I never visited Cornell. I wanted it to be as fresh as it could. I also wanted a bit of a shock. I wanted to teach myself what it’s like to start from scratch thousands of miles from home.”
Q: What activities, clubs, organizations, or work study positions were you involved in at Cornell and how did they add to your education and enjoyment of Cornell?
A: At Cornell, I have been involved with The Cornellian and Lyrically Inclined. I have worked as a Resident Assistant for the last two years, and I have worked for the Academic Technology Studio and the Office of Intercultural Life for the last three years. All of these activities have had a major impact on me. I learned how to lead working as a Resident Assistant. I learned great team building skills working with Lyrically Inclined and The Cornellian. I learned project planning and teaching strategies working with the Office of Intercultural Life and the Academic Technology Studio. And many more. The wonderful thing about all of these experiences is that they all contribute something.
Q: What is your biggest academic accomplishment?
A: My biggest academic accomplishment was choosing my major. It sounds counterintuitive and rather small when you think about it, but I am the first in my family to go to and graduate from a four-year college. It felt amazing to be able to mark that particular milestone. That felt more concrete than any project or presentation, really.
Q: What are your post-Cornell plans?
A: After Cornell, I plan to go into marketing. I hope to do brand relations and build my team management and design skills. The end goal is to manage a team for a company and ensure that their goals and plans are executed well.
Q: What Cornell experiences prepared you for this?
A: Working for The Cornellian was definitely a major experience to prepare me for this. I was the interim Editor-In-Chief for The Cornellian for the first semester of the 2016-2017 school year. Leading a team of writers is challenging, but also rewarding. Working with the Academic Technology Studio also prepared me for this. I know how to teach design concepts and software so that people can elevate their craft.
Q: How did Cornell change you?
A: Cornell taught me how to figure out what I need to do and do it. I think the One Course At A Time system is directly responsible for a better work ethic on my part. I put together a website about hip-hop and I am confident that I would not have been able to see it through were it not for Cornell. There were and continue to be a lot of long nights, but finishing the project is the main goal.
Q: What is the theme of your life? How do all of your interests tie together?
A: The theme of my life is solving puzzles and problems. That is the vein that runs through all of my interests. I like a problem. I like solving that problem. Laying out all of the objectives and goals and systematically figuring it out is one of my favorite pastimes.
Q: Which part of campus has special meaning for you?
A: The Academic Technology Studio is probably one of my favorite places on Cornell’s campus. I love technology and computer software, and lots of other dorky technology stuff. The Academic Technology Studio is the center for all of that and more. Plus, I get paid to teach people how to use the programs.
