Q&A with an Assured Business Student

Over the next couple weeks, I'll be sharing some Q&As with students who are taking part in some of the special opportunities that we offer to enrolling first-year students. (Get more info about these opportunities in this blog post from last year.) Today, we welcome Myles Robinson, a sophomore who is a part of the Assured Business Program offered by the Kenan-Flagler Business School. 

How did you choose to study business and what would you like to do with your degree?
I was selected as a member of the Assured Admission Program during my freshman year. I'd like to concentrate in marketing and use my degree to work in the sports business industry. My ultimate goal is to become a marketing executive for an NBA franchise.

What are some of the benefits of being in the Assured Business program?
The biggest benefit of being in the program is the network one is able to build early in his or her academic career. Students have the ability to not only engage with Kenan-Flagler faculty and staff during their first year but also benefit from their peers in the Assured Admission class, who are some of the most talented young business leaders at Carolina. Through the various career and professional development sessions offered through the program, I’ve been able to discover my leadership capabilities and move in a positive direction in pursuit of my short-term and long-term goals.

Any study abroad, internships, or other interesting experiences you’ve had or plan to pursue?
As a member of the Minority Business Student Alliance (MBSA), a club with the Kenan-Flagler Business School, I was in charge of a six-person committee during my first year. Our team was instructed with creating a program catered to freshman students interested in gaining acceptance into the Kenan-Flagler Business School. With the help of my committee members and the utilization of my social media marketing skills on Facebook and Twitter, I was able to attract more than 75 freshman students to a standing-room only venue.

Moreover, the Assured Admission Program has afforded me the opportunity to stay abroad in Costa Rica during spring break and China during the summer. Lastly, I worked as a financial analyst intern for the Charlotte Bobcats (NBA team) during the summer.

What else would you tell prospective students who are considering Carolina?
When I began applying to prospective schools, UNC’s dedication to diversity and familial atmosphere attracted me the most. Although other schools may have African American, Asian American, Latin American, Native American, and Hispanics represented on their campus, I don’t think they integrate these groups like UNC does. The Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs intentionally recruits and targets minorities who are first generation college students and come from low income and rural backgrounds to come to campus.

But diversity here isn’t limited to race and/or socioeconomic condition. There’s a diversity of thought as well as background and geography. Whether I walk across the pit or walk into the Student Union for a quick study break, I constantly see students of different ethnicities and backgrounds intermingling with each other. So much of what people at Carolina learn, I’m discovering, they learn through their interrelations with one another. Having diversity on campus from students of such assorted backgrounds enhances the overall learning experience. Since day one, my feelings about the people here and the overall campus vibe haven’t changed. I think it’s important for prospective students to understand they really can find their own niche here at UNC-Chapel Hill.