Isabella Osorio began her MBA studies when the world was in chaos. She graduated from Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business with an undergraduate marketing degree in 2020. Concerned that the economic downturn precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic would impact her job search, Osorio enrolled in graduate school at her alma mater the next semester.
“It was the perfect time. I figured if it took me a while to get my first role out of college, at least I'd be working toward my MBA,” she said.
Continuing her education at Robinson was an easy decision. Osorio originally chose Georgia State because she knew she wanted to stay close to home. She also benefited from having a built-in network that made starting college feel like a seamless transition.
“A lot of my friends were doing the same thing, so I had a sense of community,” she said. “Since I was familiar with the campus and vibe, it made sense to go for an MBA there, too.”
Osorio pursued an MBA with a concentration in international business, juggling classes and an associate of performance marketing role at Mower Agency. She was promoted to social strategist and finished her master’s degree in 2022. In January 2024, she pivoted to her current role as social media manager at 22Squared.
At 22Squared, Osorio leads social media efforts for Publix. She leans heavily on the skills she honed as an undergrad and also credits the MBA with preparing her to excel, particularly when it comes to public speaking, developing strategies, and creating decks. Through her international business coursework, she created global marketing strategies and gained confidence in explaining her point of view.
“Marketing is about strategy, so there's not always a right answer,” she said. “It’s more about developing your thoughts and conveying them in a convincing way.”
That was especially evident in the capstone project she completed in her international marketing class. Osorio and a group of peers developed a strategy to help Cinnabon expand into the German market. They presented their findings to Cinnabon’s international brand manager.
Osorio considers her work with Publix to be her greatest career accomplishment so far.
“Publix is a huge brand with the budget to make inspiring, creative campaigns with amazing content,” she said,
Osorio aspires to pursue a career in international business one day but wants to grow within her current company for now. Her employer recently paid for her to earn a Meta Blueprint certification and build expertise in the advertising platforms on Facebook and Instagram.
“I studied for a couple months, so passing the exam was a big deal for me,” she said. “I’m going to keep learning and growing.”