John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation

Grace Kim

Grace Kim

Majors: Marketing and Information Systems

Class of 2025
Hometown: Toledo, OH
Grace.Kim@rockets.utoledo.edu

Organizations and Activities

Pi Sigma Epsilon
American Marketing Association
Chinese American Student Association
Thai-Lao Student Association
Japanese Student Association

Internships and Job Experience

Frontline Marketing Internship (Summer 2023) | 3M
Affiliate Marketing Fall Intern
| Kyle Media Inc.
Talent Acquisition Specialist Summer Intern | The Bostwick-Braun Company
Seasonal Student Office Assistant | University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation Student Services


How Did You Decide to Study Marketing and Information Systems?

Marketing is the emotional side of business; you drive some type of emotion in hopes of a transaction for profit as a helper and guide to the customer. Information Systems is a communication tool to both the customer and upper management; understanding data and being sufficient to communicate according to each audience’s language is very powerful and makes marketing more compelling. I believe the two majors go hand in hand.

What On-Campus Activities and Organizations Have You Been a Part of?

I’m part of Pi Sigma Epsilon and joining it during my second semester of freshman year was the best thing that has ever happened to me during university. I come from zero business background, so joining this professional marketing and sales fraternity and taking Alex King’s Executive Communications Essentials class at the same time have been life-changing.

Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE) is a professional fraternity for all gender expressions and all majors; at the end of the day, if you want to professionally develop yourself, this is the student organization for you. The Neff College of Business Career Services Office does a beautiful job to prepare its students for professional success by having the resources like a job fair each semester, alumni relations, mock interviews, resume critiques, career development classes, almost weekly networking sessions and so much more. Now, imagine another version of the Business Career Services Office that provides you with everything I just listed, professional competitions, the possibility to lead a project without being concerned about losing money and having a safety net, an atmosphere and life-long friends that inspire you to reach your highest potential that you don’t even see in yourself and so much more. That is Pi Sigma Epsilon. It develops you professionally; in fact, 87% of PSE's underclassmen have internship placements, and 96% of our members have job employment. However, you also develop personally by surrounding yourself with diverse people who all have different goals but who want to see everyone succeed in whatever definition that may be according to the individual.

What is Your Greatest Piece of Advice for an Incoming Freshman?

As an individual, don’t just go to your class and then go back to your dorm/house/apartment/home. Go experience everything that’s available on campus that week by going to https://invonet.utoledo.edu/events. Go join multiple student orgs and take diverse classes; see what you like and dislike. Go do everything. During your freshman year, be an active member by constantly participating, and during your sophomore year try to get into leadership positions. If you pass the interview for Pi Sigma Epsilon, you don’t need to wait until you’re on the executive board to be a leader. Just go start something. Go lead something. Join all the committees. Go to exec meetings. Go to all of the events.

Professionally, go to everything and utilize everything that the Business Office of Career Services holds, including everything I listed earlier. Although most recruiters do not hire underclassmen, you can be an exception, and by doing this for four years straight, you’re putting yourself out there, and employers will remember you. Make a LinkedIn account, and always have business cards in your wallet. You never know when a networking opportunity will take place. As soon as possible, take Alex King’s Executive Communication Essentials class, or reach out to him on LinkedIn and say that I recommended him to you. Ask him for guidance and what business/networking etiquette is.

As a student, sit in the very first row of your class and build a relationship with your professor from the start. These professors may be your references in the future, so it’s important to do so. Additionally, it helps you to pay attention during class and not forget. These professors have hundreds of students every semester, so having a personal impact and being curious about your professors’ experiences, backgrounds, life, etc., really goes a long way.

As a friend, don’t put your time into people that aren’t worth your time. The best way to see if they really are worthwhile is to see if they are genuinely excited about your successes; it’s easy to fake kindness and be there for someone, but it’s extremely difficult to fake authentic happiness for other people’s successes. Trust me; it works, and it has saved me a lot of time and energy.

Who’s your favorite professor you’ve had at the Neff College of Business and Innovation?

Alex King has been a huge influence in my life. I lost count of how many times I have recommended him in these questions alone, but he is a genuine professor who simply wants to educate students on how to do business and how to be professional. He teaches business etiquette in his class, and again, it changed my life.

What’s your favorite class you’ve taken in the Neff College of Business and Innovation?

BUAD 2030, Executive Communication Essentials with Alex King was my favorite class. It was so applicable to real life, and I really enjoyed that aspect.

Last Updated: 3/6/23