2023 Best & Brightest Business Major: Lygia Karagiozis, University of Tennessee (Haslam)

Lygia Karagiozis

University of Tennessee, Haslam College of Business

“I am a Greek Brazilian marketing major that enjoys making memories while staying educationally active.”

Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee

High School: Farragut High School

Major: Marketing

Minor: Advertising & Public Relations

Favorite Business Course: MARK 466- Integrated Marketing Communications

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

  • Recipient of the Metropolis of Atlanta’s Arch Angel Michael award.
  • Served as the VP of Communications for AMA UTK for two years before taking over as President for my remaining two years.
  • Served as Assistant Director of Apparel, Director of Merchandise, & VP of Creative Marketing for UTK’s Dance Marathon program (VOLthon)
  • Served as Sunday school teacher, VBS coordinator, Greek dance instructor, and Greek Fest marketing chair at St. George Greek Orthodox Church.
  • Served on two Young Adult League conference planning board for the Metropolis of Atlanta (Executive Board Co-Chair) and Metropolis of Denver (Marketing Chair).

Where have you interned during your college career?:

  • Knoxville Greek Festival (Marketing Intern & Marketing Chair), in Knoxville, TN – Developed and managed 2019-2022 marketing communications campaign. Coordinated social media management, website development, print marketing ordering, and distribution, and public relations management.
  • Weigel’s, (Marketing Intern) in Powell, TN – Assisted in social media development, research food and drink flavor trends, writing and editing press releases, and research into innovative marketing tactics for Weigel’s to implement.
  • Cruze Farm (Marketing Intern) in Asbury, TN – Created and managed social media content calendar for Cruze Farm. Designed promotional print materials such as in-store signage. Coordinated Cruze Farm introduction int Vol Village at UTK’s tailgate.
  • Stand Out For Good Inc (Marketing Intern) in Maryville, TN – Create and capture social media content for Altar’d State, AS Revival, and Tulabee. Assisted on spring campaign photoshoot.

Where will you be working after graduation? I am currently in the process of applying to the University of Tennessee’s Master of Marketing program.

Who is your favorite business professor? It is very hard to choose a favorite professor because of the caliber and kindness of the faculty in the Haslam College of Business. If I had to choose, I would say that Cindy Raines has been the most influential professor on me. She is the faculty advisor for the American Marketing Association (AMA) and through that, we have worked very closely together during my time on the executive board. I also was a student in her integrated marketing communications class and learned a lot about brand management through her course. She is always willing to help students in need and is someone I look up to.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson I learned from studying business in the HCB (Haslam College of Business) was the importance of self-development and leadership. Understanding the importance of leadership and service in college has set me up for success in my internships and external non-profit organizations.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? The biggest advice I could give to an incoming business student would be to set the foundation for future as soon as you step on campus. By getting involved in student organizations, internships, and volunteer service, you will become a well-rounded student that will have knowledge from various backgrounds. Learn from the material presented in class and apply your learning into the real world.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? Growing up, I always saw how competitive the business world is, however the reality of the business world is that it truly is centered around teamwork.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I am very thankful for the opportunities I have had over the last four years on campus. If I could do one thing differently, I would have joined one of our organizations called Women of Haslam so I could have learned about women in business through a different avenue.

What business leader do you admire most? One business leader that I have not met personally but has made a huge impact on their community is Chuck Paterakis. He provided 400-500 loaves of bread to people that were stranded in a snow storm on I-95. His devotion to helping those in need is what I admire most about this business leader.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of the development and outcome of the marketing efforts that I have put together for the Knoxville Greek Festival. Through my integrated marketing campaign planning, we have seen a positive correlation with ticket sales year to year.

Which classmate do you most admire? I admire Ainsley Scheidler. She is a sophomore marketing major that is also in our prestigious Global Leadership Scholars program. Ainsley is driven, passionate, and thoughtful. She thinks analytically and leads with a heart to help others. Ainsley is someone that sees potential and aims to grow it into something successful. I foresee Ainsley being a future CEO one day and that is why I admire her.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? The people I want to thank the most are my parents. Without their endless support, love, and encouragement I would not have been able to achieve everything that I have. Since I was a child, they both have shown me what it means to be a leader and I have been able to take their lessons and apply them into my own life.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? One day I want to own my own marketing firm and/or also be a brand manager for a Fortune 500 company.

What are your hobbies? I enjoy Greek dancing, paddle boarding, and traveling.

What made Lygia such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2023?

“I am delighted to write a letter of recommendation on behalf of Lygia Karagiozis regarding her Poets & Quants “Best and Brightest” nomination. Best and Brightest absolutely describes Lygia. In my opinion, nobody deserves the accolade more than Lygia. She has an unwavering dedication to achieve academically while being committed to her college, university, community, and to the students she interacts with and leads. Currently a Magna Cum Laude, she will graduate May 2023 with a major in marketing, minor in advertising and public relations, and concentration in entrepreneurship – she definitely is a go-getter!

I have known Lygia for the past four years, both as a student of mine in UT’s Haslam School of Business and as a board member of the college’s American Marketing Association (AMA) chapter, for which I am the faculty advisor. She is an exceptional individual and leader with an incredible work ethic; dedicated, disciplined, and highly motivated. She extends herself above and beyond, not only in the classroom but in the way she leads and motivates the AMA board in her current position as president. I have observed the integrity of her character, her maturity, her willingness to accept responsibility, her phenomenal leadership skills in developing student leaders, and her excellent communication skills with both colleagues and professors.

Lygia has played an active role on campus by serving as Peer Mentor for BUAD (Business Administration) 100 classes, a Haslam Student Ambassador, and currently as president of the American Marketing Association UT Knoxville chapter. In the past four years, she has contributed to many on-campus organizations and programs, such as VOLthon, 1794 Honors & Scholars, and the International Friendship program. Off campus, she volunteers extensively for her parish, as a Sunday school teacher, Greek dance director, Vacation Bible School coordinator, Young Adult Ministry chair (both for her parish and two metropolises), and marketing coordinator for Knoxville Greek Fest. She has demonstrated mentorship and leadership and shown poise and composure doing live TV spots on WATE, WVLT and WBIR promoting Greek Fest.

What differentiates Lygia from other students on campus is her genuine passion and drive for success on everything that she does. She cares about people, is very strategic, and gives 100% to every organization and event that she is associated with. She is polite, cheerful, wonderful to be around, and wants to support others and help them achieve their goals. I have never met a leader that deserves this honor more than Lygia.

I (and the supporting nominees) am proud to have known and worked with Lygia all these years. She is an excellent example of the type of leader coming out of the University of Tennessee. She is destined for success.”

Alex R. Zablah, PhD
Department Head & Gerber/Taylor Professor
Department of Marketing

Cindy K. Raines
Distinguished Lecturer
Lee and Allison Herring Endowed Teaching Fellow in Marketing

Mark C. Collins, PhD
Distinguished Lecturer
Director, Master of Science in Marketing Program

DON’T MISS: 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2023

Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.