As a member of the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics’ Class of 2020, Jessica Casino from Wilmington, Delaware has not had the typical final semester or commencement at UD due to the coronavirus outbreak. She, and her entire class, have shown incredible resilience, maturity and spirit while adjusting to the many unexpected changes that they have encountered.
Casino was nominated for this series by UD Associate Professor of management and Co-director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative Amanda Bullough, who said, “Ms. Casino has been the president of the Women in Business RSO at Lerner College throughout the 2019-2020 academic year, and was an assistant VP before that as a younger student. I have come to know her through my work with the Women’s Leadership Initiative led out of the Lerner College. I am also the faculty advisor for the Women in Business student club and I interact with Jess on a regular basis. Her energy, leadership abilities and conscientiousness will make an important contribution to absolutely everything she does in her life.“
In this profile, Casino, a marketing and operations management double major with a minor in international business studies, shared her favorite UD memories, how she has changed during her time at UD and her plans following graduation.
Q: How do you think you have changed from your first semester at UD to now?
Casino: I have pushed myself to achieve greater success than I ever could have imagined when I started my first semester at UD. I performed strong academically and I immersed myself into involvement on campus that prepared my future success.
Q: What is your favorite place at UD?
Casino: My favorite place off campus at UD is Deer Park Tavern. It has been a place to gather with my fellow classmates to foster a sense of community and has given me some of my fondest memories.
Q: What is the most memorable course that you took at Lerner?
Casino: My most memorable course that I took at Lerner was my International Marketing class with Suresh Sundaram. I took this course while I was abroad in Australia and New Zealand. Our learning took place outside of the classroom and I was able to immerse myself into new cultures. Studying abroad through the Lerner College was one of the best decisions I made during my time at UD.
Q: What was your favorite signature UD experience?
Casino: Studying abroad in New Zealand and Australia was my favorite signature UD experience. This was my first time traveling outside of the United States and I had the most amazing experiences. I traveled to gorgeous beaches, hiked scenic mountains, swam under a waterfall, sky dived over the Great Barrier Reef, interacted with native animals and so much more.
Q: What does being a “Lifelong Lerner” mean to you?
Casino: A “Lifelong Lerner” means to me that I will always be an advocate for joining this life-changing community. I will be a loyal alumni and support and mentor students if possible.
Q: What are your plans following graduation?
Casino: I will be working a full-time position as a management trainee at Cintas in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Also, I have been accepted into two MBA programs and will be deciding on a school to start my graduate courses in the fall.