*This news item was written and edited by personnel at the Gus Machado School of Business
Exactly one year has passed since Tony Mamodaly ’15 kicked off his
graduate career at Columbia University and joined the New York City-based
advertising agency LaPlaca Cohen as part of an internship program. The 25-year
old, German-native with roots in Madagascar, has had quite an unusual career
path in his young age.
After graduating at the top of his class with his B.A. in Business in
only 2 ½ years, the former captain of the men’s soccer team, president of the
Entrepreneur Club, and resident assistant recalls, “it was quite challenging to
handle the regular coursework and duties as an RA in addition to daily
practices and travelling with the soccer team but my professors, coaches and
mentors always helped me to coordinate through my demanding schedule and
ensured I stayed on track without sacrificing results on the field or in the
classroom.”
Knowing he wanted to gain further knowledge
of marketing techniques and strategies, Tony decided to continue his education and
pursue a master’s degree. “It was always my dream to attend an Ivy-League
university but considering the exorbitant costs it was simply not realistic for
me to do so, as I come from a very modest background.”
Determined not to give up on his dream, he applied to both Harvard
University and Columbia University’s graduate programs. Tony spent months
preparing his application and after three interview rounds, his hard work and perseverance
paid off, as he was admitted to both Ivy-League universities.
“If three years ago somebody would have told me that one day I would
have the chance to choose between Harvard and Columbia, I would have probably
called him crazy.” In consideration of New York City being the global financial
capital of the world, Tony decided in favor of Columbia University’s so-called
Business Practice program, which was limited to 25 students from all over the
world only.
The program was comprised of an internship at the advertising agency
LaPlaca Cohen in the mornings and marketing strategy classes at the university
at nights.
“My time in The City was amazing. I have met incredible people from all over
the world. My best friends in class were a banker from Italy who just landed a
job on Wall Street, a Japanese financial consultant who is moving to Amsterdam
for his new job, and a marketing consultant from Denmark. During our coursework
we learned how to apply strategic marketing concepts to 'real-world' relevant
situations, such as for instance Blackberry’s positioning dilemma. Furthermore,
we had the chance to listen to and meet C-level guest speakers from the NBA or
Grey Advertising among others.”
During his internship Tony recounts that in addition to assisting on
campaigns for the Metropolitan Museum of Arts and The High Line, his absolute
highlight was the experience of joining a sales meeting on the 37th
floor of the New York Times Building. “I felt like being in a TV show like
Suits or Mad Men,” Tony laughs.
After the intensive program Tony returned to Miami in late 2015, where
he is enrolled in the MBA program with a specialization in Global Marketing while
working as a graduate assistant at the School of Business simultaneously.
“I am grateful for all the opportunities STU has opened up to me.
Although I truly fell in love with New York, I did not have to think twice when
I received the chance to pursue my MBA at St. Thomas University. The program is
great as it allows me to blend my personal background of growing up between
Germany, Madagascar and the US as well as my experience as former professional athlete
with the leadership savvy, decision-making and strategic skills required to run
a business. My passion for story-telling got me enamored with advertising,
branding and marketing as it is a blend of being creative and strategic at the
same time. In the long run I would love to work for a multinational firm or
brand, where my cross-cultural experience could be of value. Miami is full of
opportunities and I am excited to see what’s next.”
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