The Last Stretch to Impress

Ah, down to the last week before 108 young creatives take on NYC with a hunger to learn, observe, and participate. Some are frantically shopping to make sure they have trendy outfits for each day, and others are redoing portfolios. 

In the last stretch to add noteworthy skills and representations of our talents, many of us are putting final touches on projects and resumés. Today, after weeks of reading and toying, I took and passed my exam to be certified in Google Adwords. The realm of digital marketing/SEM/SEO has been a distant interest of mine for a while, and this is my first step to immerse myself and learn about something new. 

Next up, Google Analytics and Bing Ads certifications! 

Jake Sandor.   4.30.17

Perspectives from a Small Town Girl

I don’t often consider myself to be a small town girl, but compared to many of my classmates at UO, I guess I am. I was born in England and spent 5 years in the Bay Area but the place I call home is a small town in Southern Oregon. Next week will be my first time visiting NYC. Growing up, I dreamt of living in NYC without knowing much about it, besides what the media and friends/family tell me. Here’s how I imagine it:

1. The food is hard to beat. Not only is NYC packed with restaurant choices, but every dish is worthy of an Instagram post.

2. People are kind of rude. New Yorkers live fast-paced lives and don’t often have time to chit chat like us Pacific Northwesters.

3. Everything is expensive. Food, rent, drinks, transportation, you name it.

4. It’s the creative hub of the world. Creatives flock to the city to work long hours and hopefully hit it big. It’s a place for inspiration, collaboration, perseverance, and passion.

In the words of Jay Z, if you can make it here you can make it anywhere. I can’t wait.

Emily Foster

4.30.17

The farthest I’ve been

I am a college student who went to school in the same town that they were born and raised in. At times, this has made me feel like a goldfish stuck in a tiny fishbowl. I could swim to the edge but there was always something in my way. Money, time, resources… everything is shaped into a convenient glass that would allow me to admire these infinite possibilities but keep me trapped in the safe finite possibilities in our town.

Don’t get me wrong, I love this state. I will always be thankful for this town for shaping me into who I am today. No matter where I go, the rare Oregon sun reflects in the freckles sprawled across my face, the sound of rain forever stuck in my eardrums, and the pine trees that keep me rooted.

No matter how much I love my safe town, this fishbowl is becoming too small for me. In less than a week, I will be just a tiny goldfish in the grand ocean of New York City. For once, I will be swimming in unventured water.

I am ready to be scared. Inspired. Invigorated.

Let’s go.

Amelia Inouye
04. 30. 2017

Looking for takeaways:

The last time I visited New York City, I was sixteen years old and deep in what I now refer to as my “theatre kid days.” For six days of spring break, I joined a horde of other exuberant and theatrical adolescents for just about every tourist-y activity you can imagine.  Six days of inside jokes, sore feet and show business: the best kind of chaos. 

Four years later, I’m looking forward to a very different kind of trip. I know that at times New York will still feel like a thrilling, chaotic blur, but I’m going to challenge myself to look for something more. With each agency visit, stunning view, and unexpected experience, I’ll challenge myself to distill the chaos into something worth remembering: a takeaway, if you will. I hope this blog will be a place where I can share those lessons on professional advertising, city culture and life.

With the energy of a theatre kid and the focus of a strategist, I’m ready to pack my bags. Here we go!

Rachel Benner

04.30.17

Been there, haven’t done that

…yet.

I’ve been to New York many times. As a kid, I spent summers with my family on Long Island where my Dad grew up. In high school, I played in a basketball tournament in the city. And, most recently, took a bus into the city from Connecticut for a fleeting 5 hours (experienced Times Square, the One World Observatory and the 911 Memorial ). But there are still items to check off that bucket list…or rather, things I haven’t done yet. Maybe these experiences were meant to wait until the right moment - perfect for a trip like this.

The Short List:

• Grab an early morning coffee at a local cafe (people watching)
  
• Get pushed in a SoulCycle class (basic but inspiring)
• Go to a Broadway Show (a must see)
• Take the Staton Island Ferry (at night)
• Eat at Katz’s (famous Jewish deli)

Cheers to opportunities for discovery, unplanned experiences & making more memories in the city of dreams.

Meg Winters 04.30.17

I remember this feeling.

My head spun with excitement as Frank Sinatra’s song about New York spun from my dad’s record player. One week separated me from the big city and Ol’ Blue Eyes was preaching to the possibilities that filled my 7th grade mind.

As 1 of 60 students in the middle school choir performing at Carnegie Hall, I was also anxious. Yo-Yo Ma had just caressed the souls of a sold-out crowd in the same venue, and our conductor expected no less from our group of pre-pubescent punks considered to be a chorus.

This was the biggest stage we’d ever stand on in the biggest city we’d ever be in. Carnegie’s bright lights were 7 days away and I was already feeling the heat. 

~

8 years later, I’m filled with a different type of anxious enthusiasm. Visiting these agencies seems daunting, but I feel prepared and I’m confident in our group’s ability to go out there and be great.

One week. Frank on repeat. Safe to say I’m stoked. 

Nate Richards | 4.30.2017