As a member of the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics’ Class of 2020, Madison Mitchell from Royersford, Pennsylvania 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.
Mitchell was nominated for this series by UD Professor of operations management and Director of the Institute for Financial Services Analytics Bintong Chen, who said, “She is another top performer in my class and actively participated in class discussion. She loves the challenge of quantitative modeling of business problems and is excited to apply the tool in her future career.“
In this profile, Mitchell, a marketing and operations management double major with a minor in advertising, 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?
Mitchell: From my first semester at UD to now, I wouldn’t say I’ve changed much, but I’ve definitely grown in who I am. Throughout the past four years, I have become more confident, taken risks and learned that everything in my life happens for a reason, even when I don’t understand it at the time.
Q: What is your favorite place at UD?
Mitchell: My favorite place at UD is the Lerner Atrium. I love coming here to do work because I can always count on seeing friends pass by to socialize and catch up in between classes.
Q: What is the most memorable course that you took at Lerner?
Mitchell: The most memorable course I have taken at Lerner was Service and Operations Management (BUAD306). While this course was a challenge, it made me realize how passionate I was about operations management. I took the course with Professor Murphy, who is a fantastic teacher, and I was lucky enough to take two additional courses with her later in my college career.
Q: What was your favorite signature UD experience?
Mitchell: My favorite signature UD experience was spending Winter Session abroad on the London 2019 program. I was able to learn so much about advertising and public relations in a real-world setting. Not only did I learn in the classroom, I also learned new things about myself and met one of my best friends at UD during the program.
Q: What does being a “Lifelong Lerner” mean to you?
Mitchell: Being a “Lifelong Lerner” means that I will always consider Delaware and the Lerner College of Business and Economics a home away from home. Throughout my college career in Lerner I found so many opportunities, built connections, learned more than I could ever imagine and met so many incredible people along the way. I would not change experience for anything and I am proud to be a Lerner graduate.
Q: What are your plans following graduation?
Mitchell: After graduation, I plan to start my role as an assistant buyer at Burlington in August 2020. I am extremely excited to start my career in the fashion industry, as this has been a dream of mine since I was young.