Coming into the University of Massachusetts, I knew one thing for certain: I loved numbers, and I didn’t like to read and write. So, I chose to be a finance and economics major. Throughout my freshman year, I tried to “fit in” and do the usual rounds a finance major does: Finance Society, Investment Club and at one point, I even tried out for the Funds. I jumped from club to club, looking for a place where I would “fit in.” I woke up every day during my sophomore year of college at 5 a.m. to row at the Connecticut River as part of the UMass Rowing Team. I thought, “Isn’t this what a typical Finance student does?” Yes, I was putting the right activities on my resume and continuing a sport I started in high school, but I had to question if this was what I wanted to do. Was I satisfied with my everyday routine of waking up and knowing all I had to do was get good grades, go to the occasional Isenberg club meeting and sluggishly jump into a carpool to row at 5 a.m.?
I got a job as a Student Supervisor at UMass Dining, working inside BabyBerk. I even thought to try out to become the Treasurer for ACA (Arab Culture Association), try out for the Club Basketball team or about doing none of those and simply going a different route? At the time, I couldn’t find out how to make this large school into a smaller one to make myself feel as though I could “fit in.” As I thought about what it meant to know what was the “right” way to approach college my freshman year, I couldn’t grasp the thought of what I wanted to make my legacy after college. It wasn’t until September 20, 2022, that I saw a posting on a bulletin board in an Isenberg classroom, Room 117. The poster read “Hiring Ad Reps” and included an email to contact. I took a screenshot of the posting, sent the interest email, completed the 15-minute interview, and eventually got the job. My original thought was, “Here’s another job I can add to my resume and receive a bit of pocket change.” Later, I realized that this 5-hour per week job would eventually turn into something much more.
As an advertising representative for the Daily Collegian, I sold advertisement space on our social media and website. Plain and simple. I originated the deal and worked towards the due diligence of getting the deal closed to eventually invoice the client. I came into the Student Union office to attend my weekly operations meeting. As I walked through the office, I couldn’t help but notice the collection of staff who are driven by their passion. It almost seemed like they were here as they “fit in.” I only ever knew the perspectives of Isenberg students who compete on LinkedIn status, worry about the next internship and leave the classroom wondering if they have an advantage over others in the workforce. Though I use this mindset as motivation towards my professional growth, I haven’t met another group of students who truly do what they love because they simply love it.
I became the business manager the following year, as I wanted to become a leader and support the financial growth of a large organization. I look around at my fellow Daily Collegian peers, and I see diverse thoughts and characters. I see the economics student who writes for the News section on topics relating to public policy. I see sections huddling around a Mac to design the next up-and-coming Magazine. I see the next Opinion section editor stirring the pot with Kendrick vs. Drake conversations.
Our staff isn’t driven by competition but by the love of their passion. Yes, I accepted the role as the Business Manager to deal with big numbers and contribute on a macro scale towards the growth of a 150-person organization, but I wanted to stay because of the people. I’m extremely grateful to have had this opportunity to “fit in.”
Justin Truong was the Business Manager. He can be reached at [email protected].
