2019 Best & Brightest: Hayley Gorman, Fordham University (Gabelli)

Hayley Gorman

Fordham University, Gabelli School of Business

 “Student by day and television enthusiast by night.”

Fun fact about yourself: I was born on Christmas

Hometown: Tempe, AZ

High School: McClintock High School

Major: Global Business with a concentration in Digital Media & Technology

Minor: Communications

Favorite Business Course: Digital Media & Promotional Communications

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

  • Dean’s List
  • Valerie & Michael Puglisi Scholarship
  • Member of Beta Gamma Sigma
  • Woolworth Award
  • Gabelli School of Business Teaching Assistant
  • Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business Lincoln Center Dean’s Council Member
  • Lincoln Center Society University Ambassador
  • Vice President of Girl Boss (Fordham Undergraduate Women in Business Club)
  • Orientation Leader for New Student Orientation
  • Gabelli Freshman Mentor
  • Study Abroad Participant at Fordham University’s London Centre
  • Mentee in Fordham’s Mentor Program

Where have you interned during your college career?

Viacom, Distribution & Business Development, New York, NY, Marketing Intern

Smithsonian Channel, Digital Media Department, New York, NY, Partner Marketing Intern

CBS Interactive, CBS All Access, New York, NY, Core Acquisition Intern

Viacom, Spike, New York, NY, Brand Marketing Intern

VERTIKAL Life Magazine, Tempe, AZ, Intern

Aramark Refreshment Services, Phoenix, AZ, Direct Sales and Distribution Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? I’m still in the process of applying for full-time positions. I have accepted my offer of admissions from Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business for graduate school. I will be pursuing a Master of Science in Media Management.

Who is your favorite professor? My favorite professor is John Fortunato. During my junior year, I took Professor Fortunato’s Digital Media & Promotional Communications. In this course, I learned about marketing, advertising, and public relations and how digital media fits into promotional campaigns. Professor Fortunato was always there to respond to students’ questions and engage in discussion. He was a great resource when I applied to Fordham’s M.S. in Media Management program.

What did you enjoy most about your business school? Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus is the perfect place to study Global Business because of the location and my classmates. Fordham’s motto is “Fordham is my school. New York is my campus.” Throughout my four years, New York was always integrated into my curriculum whether it was going to Ernst & Young in Times Square to present my business plan or visiting a historic site in New York City that related to the course material. I’ll never forget my classmates who made my college experience so enjoyable. I think a misconception about business schools is that they are very competitive. However, I found that my peers and I were not competing against one and other. Instead, we were collaborating and motivating each other to succeed.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson I gained from studying business was how to be an effective leader in a group setting. During my sophomore year, I emerged as the leader of a semester-long project. That project was the first time I did not get to pick the group I was going to work with for an entire semester. My group was filled with five very distinct personalities and different working habits. During that semester, my leadership skills were tested, but I learned how to communicate with my team members and understand their motivations effectively.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? My advice to students looking to major in a business-related field is to take advantage of every opportunity. The great thing about studying business is that students get to take many courses in different business disciplines like marketing, finance, accounting, and information systems. While you may be interested in finance, studying business allows students to gain exposure to different subjects and understand the different roles within a company. Also, I recommend that students attend guest speaker events and talk to an upperclassman to learn more about people’s work experience.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? When I thought about majoring in business, I had anticipated that the classroom environment would be very competitive. However, I realized early on during my freshman year that my peers wanted to help each other succeed. During my sophomore year, all Gabelli students participated in the Consulting Cup Challenge. While this project did have a competitive element, many students would help out their peers who were on different teams. I love that my school is built on collaboration.

“If I didn’t major in business, I would be majoring in or studying…Communications. Currently, I am minoring in Communications, and I have loved every course I’ve taken. I’m very passionate about media and entertainment, so I found it very interesting to learn about history while discussing the ethical implications of media practices.”

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My uncle Mike represents to me someone who knew what he wanted in life and went after his dreams. He started off doing busy work at a financial institution and currently he is a Senior VP. While work is important, he taught me that work isn’t everything because you have to take time to do things that you enjoy. My uncle Mike has season tickets to both the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Blackhawks. While he can’t attend every game, the games that he can attend, serve as a nice reprise from work. As I am about to embark on my career, I hope to take the lessons I’ve learned from my uncle and apply them to my life.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? During my freshman year, I remember hearing that the internship before your senior year is the most important internship. On February 13, 2018, I received an internship offer from CBS Interactive (CBSi). I set a goal during my freshman, career exploration class that I would work at CBS Interactive with their CBS All Access team. I was so fortunate to intern with CBS All Access Marketing team during the summer of 2018. While I was at CBSi, I was lucky enough to manage marketing campaigns that included Season 20 of Big Brother, PGA Championship, and the upcoming SEC season. Every week, I managed the weekly subscriber newsletter process from start to finish. It was a dream come true to be able to work on the marketing campaign for one of my favorite TV shows, Big Brother.

Which classmate do you most admire? On my first day of freshman year, I met Navdeep Cattry. From the moment I met her, she was friendly and considerate of others. Over these four years, I have seen her transformation in the classroom. She set a goal of making Dean’s List, and she accomplished that goal. When she wasn’t excelling at school, she was serving as an e-board member for Commuting Students Association or interning with an advertising agency. I can’t wait to see her follow her passions as she embarks on a career in advertising.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? My family members are my biggest supporters. I can’t thank them enough for all of their support and sacrifices they have made to allow me to pursue my dream of going to Fordham University. When my mom was advised that Fordham may not be the best option financially for our family, my mom said no and that she was going to make it work. Going to a private school in New York City is very expensive; however, my mom made it work financially and was able to support me through my four years. I’m very thankful that I have parents who believe in me and know that I’m capable of anything. I’m so grateful that I made my dreams come true!

What are the top two items on your bucket list? The top two items on my bucket list are to go to a baseball game at every MLB stadium and go to an award show (Emmys, Golden Globes or Oscars).

What are your hobbies? My hobbies include going to sporting events, traveling, watching television, and listening to podcasts about reality TV shows.

What made Hayley such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2019?

“I got to know Hayley as her professor in the digital media and promotional communication class in the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University. Hayley is one of the most talented and passionate students that I have been fortunate enough to have in class. What makes Hayley stand out as a member of the class of 2019 is her ability to adapt and thrive in many different situations, often taking on a leadership role in those situations. This stems from her desire to achieve, a desire to consistently challenge herself, a desire to be an active member of a community, and her commitment and mentorship in helping others.

Hayley has been such a valuable member of the Fordham community. She is a member of the Dean’s council, a new student orientation leader, a freshman mentor, and a leader in the Women in Business Club.  Other situations in which she adapted and succeeded are internships with some of the most prestigious media companies, such as Viacom and CBS.

As a student, Hayley exemplifies all of the characteristics necessary for success. She excels at the writing, speaking, and analytical skills for achievement within this program. She has consistently demonstrated that she is a responsible, mature person who has a positive attitude and the ability to attain her goals.  More importantly, Hayley is always eagerly anticipating the next opportunity to challenger herself and to achieve.  I look forward to learning of all of her future successes.”

John Fortunato, PhD
Professor and Area Chair
Communications and Media Management
Gabelli School of Business
Fordham University

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