Entering Rutgers as a freshman, Lindsay Laureano COM‘15, was determined to become a keenly involved student by taking advantage of many academic and social opportunities at Rutgers.

Even though she wasn’t entirely sure what her career path would look like, Laureano said her experiences both on the Rutgers Women’s Tennis Team (she was recruited in high school) and in her SC&I classes convinced her that she wanted a career focused on interacting and working with people.

“Everything I learned at SC&I has been such a great foundation for my career,” said Laureano, when asked about her time as an undergraduate.

Today, after gaining experience at NBC as the director of Ad Sales and Marketing for the Olympics, Laureano works as a director on the Creative Partnerships Team at NBC Universal, where she is focused on integrating advertising partners into NBC’s coverage of the Olympics and Paralympics.

In our interview with Laureano, she discusses her time at Rutgers, what led her to her career today, and more.

What made you decide to attend Rutgers and major in SC&I? What notable professors influenced your time at Rutgers and led you to what you do today?
LL: I am a NJ native and was recruited to play on the women’s tennis team at Rutgers. I remember falling in love with College Ave campus after my first visit and lived there all four years during my time at Rutgers.

Professor Mark Beal had a massive impact on me as a Rutgers undergrad student. I took his PR and leadership courses which taught me so many valuable lessons. Mark and his courses helped me land a PR internship and full-time role in PR after graduation. To this day, Mark continues to have an impact on my career.

What opportunities did you pursue at Rutgers that led you to your career today, and what would you tell your undergraduate self to do differently if you could go back in time?
LL: While I participated in networking events, I would tell my undergraduate self to lean into the various networking events and opportunities even more!

What do you enjoy the most about your career?
LL: I enjoy learning and being challenged, and each step of my career has done just that! At NBCU, I love the team of people I work with, and I love that NBC has such a large impact and influence on sports, entertainment and culture. I like to think that all the work my team does around NBC’s coverage of the Olympics and Paralympics brings consumers joy as they tune in to watch the Games.

What advice would you give to any SC&I student hoping to pursue a career after graduation in marketing?
LL: Be open to learning and ask lots of questions along the way! Any experience is valuable if you keep learning and growing from it.

Learn more about the Communication major on the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website.

Photos: Courtesy of Lindsay Laureano