For our first Senior Spotlight of 2021, we caught up with our current GMS President, Ashley Wu, to reflect on her experience at GMS, and future goals for herself and GMS.
This year has presented different challenges for our leadership team than in years prior. Ashley said it was “hard during last semester, starting with Splash online and then, everything.” With the absence of in person meetings, weekly Zoom meetings have been integral to GMS. She said it was important to implement new strategies such as virtual workshops and conferences this year to keep members engaged and involved.
“It allows people to see faces and remind them that we are still here, hosting events, and running this organization.”
With GMS’ recent conference, it allowed everyone to network with professionals and aid them in their future internship search and career. Ashley’s sees GMS continuing to host these types of events and workshops to “help people build networks and engagement under a virtual setting.” In the future, she sees GMS becoming more and more like a real agency and taking on bigger clients.
When asked about her personal accomplishments, Ashley shared about the moments she is most proud of: having the opportunity to intern at larger companies, being the president of GMS, and how she had to grow a lot to reach the success she has seen today. Prior to being GMS President, Ashley said that she has been turned down twice as Account Manager, but she did not give up there. She pushed herself to take initiative and connect with different people. She reached out and communicated with former leadership team members, e-board members, and more experienced peers to “express her willingness and motivation to learn” and gain valuable advice.
A piece of wisdom Ashley wishes to leave for her peers in and outside of GMS is to seek out leadership opportunities at BU. GMS has many leadership opportunities available, such as our mentorship for Account Manager/Strategic Planners. These experiences help you gain valuable life and career skills, which are highly sought after at any role or internship you are applying to.
“Leadership is a good skill to have. In terms of working with a team, being responsible, building something outside of a classroom setting, and taking initiative. As the president of GMS, I have to take charge, arrange meetings and take initiative to show that I am driven and determined.”
As a current senior, Ashley is setting out to graduate this May with a Business degree in Marketing and Information Systems. When she isn’t working, you will most likely catch her seeking out the next best place to eat, or expressing her love for fashion by exploring new trends or styling different fits. With previous internship experiences at Kate Spade and Glow Recipe under her belt, she plans to continue her current path in marketing analytics within the fashion and beauty industry back home in New York. Ashley reminisces about her time at BU, meeting different people with different interests and aspirations, the low stakes all nighters had, and how she will miss them the most after graduation, as life only gets busier.