Student Spotlight

Refaya Priya ‘23

Lowell, Massachusetts

Sales and Marketing Coordinator @ Intertek Small Business Owner @ Renaz Stylofy Founder and Dance Director @ TDS

Program: MS in Digital Marketing and Design

Refaya is a Bangladeshi-American student living in Lowell, MA, with her parents and younger sister. Aside from her professional experience, she loves to do community service. She served as the youngest Cultural Secretary of one of the oldest Bangladeshi organizations in the New England area for the 2018-2019 term. It was a very successful term, and she was also awarded for her work. 

Refaya has also been dancing since the age of four and earned many National and International awards before she immigrated here with her family in 2014. She has since continued to dance and has a team of 30 people at present. In her spare time, Refaya enjoys spending time at the dance school she owns and spending quality time with her family.

Get to know Refaya Priya! 

Why did you choose Brandeis GPS?

Brandeis has a great reputation. It’s an honor to get accepted into a prestigious university.

What inspired you to choose your field of study?

I work in the marketing department at Intertek and run my small business part-time. We live in a digital era where digital marketing and design would help me in both the prospective side and the technical side of marketing. 

I also want to promote the work of my dance school outside MA to showcase our creative works. My team was the first Bangladeshi team to be invited out of state to perform in NY and CT. Digital marketing plays a huge role in today’s world, and any field must maintain the best of the best social image.

How have you enjoyed your experience at Brandeis thus far? 

Everyone has been so helpful. I am very much delighted.

What are your hopes and aspirations for the rest of your time at Brandeis? 

I am looking forward to exciting opportunities and gaining more insights into the new era of digital marketing. 

What are your plans for after graduation?

Higher level management positions and/or become one of the best young entrepreneurs taking my small business to reach new heights 😀

What advice would you give to incoming students?

Research the market where you want to study and only apply when you find a subject curious and interesting. This is because you enjoy learning when you find the field interesting. It’s like finding your ikigai. 

Student Spotlight

Adriana Dianderas ‘21

Wallington, New Jersey

Senior Designer, Healthfirst

Program: MS in Digital Marketing and Design

In her spare time, Adriana enjoys running long distance races, checking out new Broadway shows, traveling, and trying food from new places.

Get to know Adriana Dianderas! 

Why did you choose Brandeis GPS?

From my first touch-point with Brandeis GPS, they were, and still are, extremely proactive in responding to my questions and inquiries promptly. I also felt that the course curriculum was a good mix between marketing strategies and user experience design which was what I was looking for in my Master’s program. I also like that they were flexible with full-time employees and provided different options to complete your degree at your own pace.

What inspired you to choose your field of study?

There were two factors that inspired me to pursue a degree in Digital Marketing and Design. When I graduated college with a Bachelor’s in Graphic Design, the industry was still driven by print advertising. Nowadays, the industry is driven by multichannel digital platforms. I decided to invest in my education and learn digital strategies and design principles to stay relevant in my field. The second factor was to expand my current design knowledge and combine it with strategic thinking. I believe that this combination of marketing & design will help me in future leadership roles. 

How have you enjoyed your experience at Brandeis thus far? 

It’s been great so far! Professors are easy to get in touch with and are very knowledgeable about their fields. You definitely get to cover key aspects of the digital advertising business, such as researching and implementing user experience principles, budget planning, tracking leads and conversions, writing for digital, personalizing and optimizing content for web, and managing cross-channel strategies to support your company’s goals.

What are your hopes and aspirations for the rest of your time at Brandeis? 

For me, every semester is always an opportunity to learn something new! I have two more electives to take, for those in particular, I hope to focus on improving my project management and leadership skills.

What are your plans for after graduation?

I hope that after gaining in-depth knowledge of digital marketing and design at Brandeis, l  will end up in an upper management role where I could make decisions from a creative and strategic point of view. 

What advice would you give to incoming students?

To reserve time in the week to focus on school work. It is doable to go to school and work at the same time, but it requires time management and planning. I will also fully encourage incoming students to participate in the discussion forum and take advantage of all the assigned and recommended readings. There are tons of helpful tips and relevant information in those! 

What has been your favorite class to-date?

That’s a tough one! I would say Writing for Digital Environments and Digital Marketing Strategy.

Student Spotlight

Lauren Fox ‘23

New Orleans, Louisiana

Social Media Strategist, PETERMAYER

Program: MS in Digital Marketing and Design

In her spare time, Lauren enjoys dancing, trying new restaurants, reading, and listening to new music. 

Get to know Lauren Fox! 

Why did you choose Brandeis GPS?

I chose Brandeis GPS because of the international student body, curriculum, reputation, and costs. 

What inspired you to choose your field of study?

I wanted to build a marketing portfolio that expanded beyond communications. Since I matriculated, I’ve learned about e-commerce, data, go-to-market strategies and ethics. I also wanted to learn more about user-experience/interface designs.  

How have you enjoyed your experience at Brandeis thus far? 

I enjoy the curriculum the most. It’s so important to learn about budgeting if you’re in the media/marketing industries. My classmates are experts in their fields and learning about their experiences have clued me into what other businesses are doing in our field. I have a support system at Brandeis and feel championed in my academics/career planning.

What are your hopes and aspirations for the rest of your time at Brandeis? 

I plan on graduating with honors, receiving potential awards, or career opportunities through alumni networking. 

What are your plans for after graduation?

I am really excited to become an adjunct professor. I would love to teach courses that review how pop culture impacts marketing. 

What advice would you give to incoming students?

Keep an open mind and utilize all the opportunities Brandeis gives to you! Reach out to your classmates; they will give you the support you need when you need help with classwork. 

What has been your favorite class to-date?

Any class taught by Meredith Fortney and Marketing and Customer Analytics taught by Ross Morrone. I have used what I learned in their classes in my career. Impactful courses for anyone who works with ecommerce and data.