Most of us have days every once in a while when we'd rather sleep in than go to work. Business administration/marketing major Joe Finch claims to be the exception.
Finch came to his marketing major because of his first co-op as mascot assistant for the Philadelphia Eagles, where he got a taste of marketing and promotions and saw his work displayed in public. "I enjoyed every minute of it. I like the fact that I directly impact people's lives and have the chance to bring them a little joy. It is a great feeling to see people show up to an event I planned and advertised and hear they had a positive reaction."
You can tell he loves what he does because he did a lot of it during his years at Drexel. Off campus, Finch did his second marketing co-op with Blank Rome, LLP as client events manager, and his third as associate project manager with Electronic Ink. On campus, he put his skills to work in everything from the DAC Pack, where he was vice president and director of marketing, to being a founding committee member of the Dragon Concert Series to planning and promoting Colonial Athletic Association blood drives. Finch worked both behind the scenes putting things together — producing highlight videos, organizing player intros — and in front of crowds promoting, tweeting, and cheering in the stands. In fact, the southwest bleachers of the DAC during basketball games was Finch's favorite Drexel hangout, and he spent a lot of time there — he attended every men's basketball home game as an undergrad, and only missed four women's games (due to a snowstorm and co-op responsibilities).
Now with his bachelor's degree, Finch is confident his decision to come to Drexel from small-town Essex, Vermont, was the right one. He says Drexel was a natural choice because of family ties in South Jersey, but also, "I knew I wanted to move to an urban environment. When I toured Drexel's campus I was sold on the co-op program and the unconventional college experience. I saw my Drexel degree growing exponentially in value. Not many other colleges can boast an upward trajectory, and that's what hooked me."
Finch is now planning his own upward trajectory and wants to put his co-op and campus experiences to work, aiming to become head of marketing for a major league sports franchise or a venue like the Wells Fargo Center or Madison Square Garden. But as important as all the hands-on work was, he says it's the people he met — close friends, Drexel administration, professional athletes, politicians, famous musicians, astronauts, and even a mascot or two — that made his Drexel experience unique and memorable.