Here comes the new member of the pack!
Today is Friday the 21st, the final day of my first week as the Marketing and Promotions Manager for NC State Bookstores. It has been a truly awesome week and phenomenal experience, and my excitement lies in the future; and in the potential that we as a university have to make a difference. But, before I get into all of that, let me tell you about myself! My name is Alex Barnett, I was born and raised in New York and attended Temple University where I received my BBA in Marketing at the Fox School of Business. My passion has always been marketing, public relations, and advertising. Why? Because I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, and help determine and influence how people think and perceive products, promotions, and companies. My family moved down to Chapel Hill during my sophomore year in college, and despite the location, I knew I was a State fan.
I always wanted to be a part of State’s culture, because it was basically the North Carolina version of Temple University: large, city-based, great athletics, a workmanlike attitude, and overall awesome. I always subscribed to the success of the underdog. Temple for years before I got there had a tradition of greatness, but was also perceived as the underdog. It’s a perpetual cloak that we Owls have had difficulty shedding. However, since my freshman year, our basketball team has taken down a top ten team each year since (that includes DUKE!). [Edit: By the way, we just took down Syracuse too! #3!] I’m a HUGE sports fan, and I knew that I didn’t want to be a front-runner Duke or UNC fan, and I also knew that they simply didn’t have the passion and fire and workmanlike attitude that NC State has.
With this in mind, as soon as I had the chance to take a summer class, State was where it was going to be. There was no discussion, no weighing options, and no hesitation. I immediately enrolled and had a fantastic summer being a part of a fabric that I knew would be with me forever. Little did I know what the future had in store for me! What I did know what that the community embraced me. It accepted me, and it made me feel like I was a part of it from the beginning.
So that’s my history, and now, here I am, about four years later, doing exactly what I wanted to be doing, while being a part of my second home, NC State. I’ve already gotten started on some huge ideas I have for the Bookstore, and I can’t wait to share them with you all as we continue to venture down the road to success. In the meantime, I ask all of my readers to show as much Pack Pride as possible. Represent your school in as many ways as you can think of. Get involved, show your support, bleed red and white, and loathe any shade of blue. For State students, these are the best four years of your life, hands down. You can be whoever you want to be, whenever you want to be it. You have so many avenues to pursue and nothing to worry about except good grades and future success. Enjoy these years! I can look back and say that I have no regrets about my college years. I absolutely loved life and had incredible experiences. I only wish I could have had time to do more!
Make sure when your time is done, you’ve made a connection with your school and have relationships that will be a part of your life forever. These are such exciting times, and together, we will do amazing things for NC State.
Are you ready?