2017 Best & Brightest: Christine Cavallaro, University of Massachusetts-Amherst (Isenberg)

Christine Cavallaro

University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Isenberg School of Management

“Driven by a surplus of colored pens and an IV of coffee.”

Fun fact about yourself: I could read music before I could read words.

Hometown: Foxborough, MA

High School: Foxboro High School

Major: Marketing

Minor: Studio Arts

Favorite Business Courses:

  • Tools for Professional Success Honors Thesis: This was a favorite class because it involved working directly with a company as a marketing consultant intern to provide marketing research and solutions to a given problem.
  • Consumer Behavior
  • Advertising and Promotional Strategy

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

  • President of the Women of Isenberg Conference
  • Women in Business Executive Board Member
  • President of the Isenberg Honors Council
  • Teaching Assistant for Intro to Marketing
  • Class of 2017 Senior Gift Committee
  • Dean’s List all semesters
  • Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society
  • International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma

Where have you interned during your college career?

  • NAIL Communications – Providence, RI – Account Management Intern
  • Arnold Worldwide – Boston, MA – Project Management Intern

Describe your dream Job: I would like to be a chief marketing officer of a consumer brand. Marketing is a perfect intersection of creative thinking and smart business thinking and I would love to lead a marketing department in developing creative solutions to grow a business.

Who is your favorite professor? Professor Charles Schewe is my favorite professor because he fully invests in his students and guides them though a real marketing consulting project. Through teaching about managing client relations to understanding the consumer choice model, I learned more from Professor Schewe’s consulting and life experience in a semester than imaginable.

Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? As cliché as it may sound, I admire my father the most for keeping his small business running for 30 years through tough economic times. He is constantly innovating and altering his business model to fit that changing consumer needs and economy. His ability to adapt his business and make smart, timely decisions are admirable and make him a successful entrepreneur and role model.

What did you enjoy most about majoring in a business-related field? I love marketing because it is a perfect intersection of creativity and smart business thinking. I love to paint, craft, draw, design. My artistic, creative thinking combines well with a more business, analytical sense to create unique marketing ideas to grow a business.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The importance of managing relationships and always having a strong team is necessary to any business endeavor. Success is rarely attributed to one person and the biggest lesson I learned from studying business is that that you can’t do it all alone. I have experienced the power of managing relations while planning the Women of Isenberg Conference and leading a team of varying ages and personality types.

Where would you like to work after graduation? Arnold Worldwide – Associate Marketing Manager

What are your long-term professional goals? I would like to start my career in advertising and later move into a marketing department of a consumer brand. The agency experience will provide me with the foundations needed to implement marketing concepts within a company.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? I would strongly advise students to major in business because the career possibilities are truly endless. A business major sets you up professionally and allows for explorations and combinations with other fields of interest.

“I knew I wanted to major in business when…I was constantly intrigued and thrown into the hustle of having a small family business.”

“If I didn’t major in business, I would be…majoring in studio art – specifically graphic design with the intent of working in the creative department of an advertising agency.”

“Before I entered business school, I wish I had known…that the most influential learning experiences wouldn’t come from the classroom or a textbook, but rather extracurricular involvement and leadership opportunities.”

What was the happiest moment of your life? One of the happiest moments of my life was receiving a clarinet soloist award from Wynton Marsalis a few years back at Lincoln Center in NYC.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of leading the Women of Isenberg Conference. Since the inaugural conference 3 years ago, I have been a part of the planning of this conference. The conference has grown by 50% annually and I am so proud of where the conference has grown. I am leading the student conference team in conjunction with faculty advisors to plan the 2017 Women of Isenberg Conference and raise more than $30,000. It is estimated to have 400 attendees and speakers with a keynote speaker, 9 breakout panels, 3 workshops, a seated lunch, and networking session. Leading the conference planning over the years has been an incredible experience and I am so grateful for this opportunity Isenberg has given me.

What animal would you choose to represent your professional brand? I would choose a flamingo because it is a bright, cheerful animal and professionally, it is important to stand out with a bright and positive personality.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my parents for always encouraging me and setting me up for success. They always said if I do my best, they would be happy. I never felt extreme pressure from them and I am so blessed to always have them on my side.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? I would like my business school peers to say that I was a leader with energy and motivation. I want to be known as a reliable hard worker with a positive personality and smile.

Favorite book: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Favorite movie: Legally Blonde

Favorite musical performer: Duke Ellington

Favorite vacation spot: Palm Beach, Florida

What are your hobbies? Running and painting

What made Christine such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2017?

“I have known Christine Cavallaro since she was a freshman in my honor’s seminar. What she has done to raise the profile of the Women of Isenberg Conference is remarkable. She exemplifies the Isenberg student profile as a driven individual with the grit and determination to achieve her goals.  I admire her tenacious work ethic and willingness to roll up her sleeves and do what needs to be done along with her spirited personality and positive approach.”

Linda Shea, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Professor
University of Massachusetts-Amherst

DON’T MISS: THE FULL HONOR ROLL: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2017

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