Lauren Griffin, an AECT alumna, is now the marketing coordinator for Greenway Equipment, a commercial and industrial equipment supplier for Arkansas and southeast Missouri. 

     “I’m lucky to have a career out of college that I really enjoy and love,” said Griffin. “I feel like I’ve found my place.”

     Griffin graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2019 with a bachelors in agricultural communications and a minor in agricultural leadership. Directly after college, she worked for an advertising agency in Little Rock, and Greenway was one of their clients. Griffin began working for Greenway in December 2020.

     Griffin’s primary duties at Greenway include managing digital advertisements and the company website, working closely with advertising agencies to track budgets, supporting marketing teams and data mining. 

     “My schedule changes every day depending on where I’m at,” Griffin said. “I’m always busy and doing something.”

     Griffin said that trying to constantly optimize and learn new things is one of the most challenging aspects of her career. Luckily, however, she said she has a great team to work with. 

     “My favorite part about my job is the people I work with and being connected and close to agriculture,” Griffin said. “I meet all kinds of people all the time.”

     One of the highlights that Griffin mentioned during her time with Greenway included a Jason Aldean concert to support food drives around Arkansas.

     “There are lots of opportunities to give back to the community,” Griffin said. “My job really aligns with my values.” 

     Griffin said that her leadership degree helped her prepare for her career. Knowing how different people’s personalities work helped her predict how they’re going to think about certain things. Griffin also said that her graphic design class was very beneficial.

     Griffin’s advice for current students pursuing a career in advertising is to intern, take advantage of free resources, get as many certifications as you can and to know how to communicate.

     “If you want to do advertising itself, it’s a completely different ball game. I knew how to communicate, learn, and be flexible,” Griffin said. “I was able to get several promotions during the year and a half.”