Rachelle Durandisse ‘25 was drawn to St. Thomas Aquinas College to study Marketing in our School of Business. Rachelle has ignited her passion both on and off campus, and is grateful for making connections with her professors along the way: “I genuinely believe that my college experience wouldn’t have been the same without my incredible professors. Despite considering myself a rigid and an avid planner, their influence broadened my horizons and made me more optimistic about my career choices!”
Dr. Engels, Dr. Mihal, Dr. Rothschild, and Professor Wendel are four of the most influential faculty members that Rachelle has taken courses with during her college career. Rachelle credits Dr. Mihal for her current internship at Ridgewood Savings Bank as a Marketing and E-Commerce Analyst, and notes: “her courses challenged me to think critically and find new solutions to problems. Her class sparked my appreciation for data analysis, leading me to explore a new area of marketing that I now enjoy.”
Rachelle interned at a State Farm Insurance Agency over the summer and honed in on her social media marketing skills, learned the value of building a network, as well as the importance of maintaining customer relationships. Rachelle advises students to visit the Career Center and work with their knowledgeable team to learn more about networking, resume building, and experiential learning/internship opportunities.
Rachelle notes how the College’s employees are always available to help students: “Everyone is very generous, available, and ready to lend a helping hand. I consider myself lucky that I am able to attend St. Thomas Aquinas, where the faculty and staff are so open and understanding. We [students] have such incredible resources available to us on campus, and my favorites are the Career Center, the Bloomberg Lab, the student development center, and free tutoring. These resources make it easier for me to get my work done and actively plan for my future.”