Samantha Stiller
As an Honors College student, senior marketing major Samantha Stiller has had exclusive opportunities to travel abroad. She’s studied in Barcelona, Spain, and completed an internship at one of London’s leading tech companies. In addition to her academic and professional pursuits — and her penchant for jet-setting — Samantha lends her voice and hand to two different causes: making news accessible for people with visual impairments and helping build homes.
Interview by Zohra Basmadjian
Tell me a bit about yourself.
I’m a senior in the Honors College, majoring in marketing. I am really passionate about giving back to the community. At the beginning of this year, I made a commitment to volunteer more.
Why marketing?
I like the idea of finding a company I’m interested in — whether that’s through their products or messaging — and being able to effectively and passionately market their brand since I’m already interested in what they sell and value.
Tell me more about your volunteer experience.
I’ve been volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, helping build houses. I also volunteer for Vocal Point where I read aloud sections of news articles to people with visual impairments or other disabilities so they can hear the news if they can’t physically read it online.
Why GSU?
I wanted to go to college in a city, so I only applied to city schools. It was also an affordable option for me.
I was accepted into the Honors College, which came with housing benefits, interesting classes and unique opportunities. Because of that, I was able to do an internship in London, study abroad in Barcelona and get two part-time jobs on campus.
What was studying abroad like?
My semester abroad in Barcelona was really cool. I studied at Toulouse Business School’s Barcelona Campus, and it was such a fun experience. I got to meet people from all over the world and travel a lot, which was amazing. Georgia State gave me scholarships that covered my housing, which made it even better.
We took field trips to learn more about global businesses, and I took classes in finance, marketing and luxury management. I think the best part was traveling and meeting new people, but I also gained a lot of educational enrichment from the courses.
In London, I interned with Founders Forum Global through the Honors College’s U.K. Summer Internship Program. They organize high-profile forums for tech founders and CEOs around the world, and I was on their communications team.
I was there during London Tech Week, which is their flagship event. The main forum had a series of events like a welcome barbecue, gala and private dinners. Since I was on the communications team, I helped manage attendee emails, Salesforce data, name tags, transportation and logistics for international guests.
What has been your favorite experience at GSU?
Being on the Pantherettes dance team. It’s been rewarding to make close friends and represent GSU at football and basketball games, tournaments and alumni events.
If you could market for any brand, what would it be?
I’d love to work for Delta Air Lines. They treat their employees well, and they have a strong brand image. Another company I’d love to work for is Ben & Jerry’s. I love their ice cream, and I respect their social commitments and activism. I’d love to work on their social media team.
What are your plans after graduation?
Dream-wise, I’d love to travel even more. When I studied abroad, I walked 200 miles along the Camino de Santiago from Porto, Portugal, to Santiago, Spain. It was a life-changing experience. Since then, I’ve also traveled to Japan and South Korea. Travel is one of my passions, and I’d love to take time after graduation to backpack through Southeast Asia or anywhere new.
A dream of mine is joining a professional dance team for the NFL or NBA. I’ve danced all my life, and I am captain of the GSU dance team, so it would be amazing to perform at that level.
