Julia Birchfield
University of Delaware, Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics
“A hard‑working, unconventional thinker driven to solve problems creatively and differently.”
Fun fact about yourself: I owned a bakery for a few years, where I focused mostly on decorating cakes for weddings, birthdays, and other celebrations. It was a really creative chapter of my life, and I loved getting to be part of people’s special moments through the designs!
Hometown: Norrisville, MD
High School: North Harford High School
Major: Marketing & Global Enterprise Management
Minor: Business Analytics
Favorite Business Course: Introduction to Hospitality Business Management (with Dr. Sheryl Kline)
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Honors College Student: As a member of the Honors College at the University of Delaware, I’ve kept a strong GPA while taking advanced Honors courses that dive deeper into the material and encourage expanded exploration of key topics. These classes offer a more challenging academic experience and give me the chance to engage more meaningfully with concepts beyond the standard curriculum.
Lerner Ambassador: As a Lerner Ambassador, I’ve had the privilege of representing the business school over the past four years by showing prospective students what makes Lerner so special. I’ve given tours, spoken on panels, and helped families get a feel for the community and opportunities within the college. It has allowed me to share my own experiences while helping future blue hens find their place at UD.
Peer Mentor: As a Peer Mentor, I’ve spent the past four years supporting first‑year business students, mentoring more than 200 of them as they navigate their transition into college. I’ve helped them find their place within Lerner, adjust to new academic and social dynamics, and feel connected and supported during their first year. I also helped launch this course at our Wilmington campus, serving as both a TA and peer mentor to guide students there through the same experience.
Teaching Assistant (Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management, Basics of Business, Negotiations): As a Teaching Assistant, I’ve spent the past three years supporting more than ten courses across Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management, Basics of Business, and Negotiations. Over this time, I’ve worked alongside multiple instructors and supported over 300 students, helping guide them through key concepts, coursework, and their overall academic progress from semester to semester.
Blue Hen Ambassador: As a Blue Hen Ambassador, I served for two years giving families guided tours of the University of Delaware campus and helping them get a true sense of the Blue Hen experience. I answered questions, shared insights from my own time at UD, and helped prospective students feel confident and informed as they made their decision about joining the UD community.
Lerner Career Services Intern: As a Lerner Career Services Intern, I’ve spent the past three years supporting students through every stage of their professional development. I’ve helped first‑year business students create, edit, and finalize their résumés for approval, and I’ve worked with students across all class years on job and internship preparation. This includes providing guidance on LinkedIn profiles, cover letters, interview skills, and overall career readiness. Through this role, I’ve supported hundreds of students as they build confidence and prepare for their next steps.
Lerner Student Advisory Board Member: As a member of the Lerner Student Advisory Board over the past two years, I’ve worked alongside fellow board members as well as Dean Yao and Deputy Dean Kline to help enhance the overall Lerner student experience. I’ve analyzed student survey data and translated it into clear insights and presentations for the deans, helping inform improvements across key aspects of the student journey. I’ve also helped develop and support events – such as career panels and workplace‑focused discussions – that give Lerner students real visibility into job paths, internships, and life after graduation.
Where have you interned during your college career?
Seaside Vacations & Sales – Marketing Intern, Marketing Associate (Chincoteague Island, Virginia), May 2024 – December 2025
During my two years at Seaside Vacations in Chincoteague Island, I began as a Marketing Intern and was later promoted to Marketing Associate in recognition of my impact on the company’s brand and marketing performance. I led an integrated marketing campaign that earned the 2025 VRMA International Marketing Campaign of the Year Award, driving measurable growth through analytics‑driven strategy and creative execution. I launched and managed a six‑month digital campaign that generated millions of views, by continuously optimizing content based on platform insights and consumer behavior trends. I also wrote, directed, and edited a full‑length documentary for national award submission, using audience insights to shape its distribution strategy; the film was later selected for festivals and screened in local theaters.
Circana – CPS Insights Associate, Nestle (Remote) June 2025 – August 2025
As a CPS Insights Associate supporting Nestlé at Circana, I entered the role through meaningful networking and connections – an experience that ultimately helped me discover how much I love the CPG industry. In this position, I conducted ongoing research and analysis of CPG trends, competitive activity, and market dynamics to help Nestlé stay ahead of shifting shopper behavior and retail patterns. I translated complex datasets from platforms like Unify+ into clear, strategic recommendations, pairing data fluency with compelling visuals to drive real business outcomes. I also collaborated closely with cross‑functional members of the Nestlé client team across multiple product categories, delivering tailored, data‑driven solutions that aligned to their priorities. Additionally, I supported the development of client‑ready presentations by integrating Circana data with external research, ensuring that our insights directly answered key business questions and helped guide decision‑making.
Where will you be working after graduation? Currently Working for Circana as a CPG Insights Analyst, Neutrogena (Summit, New Jersey)
In my current role at Circana, I was selected – based on my performance during my internship – to support the launch of Kenvue, one of Circana’s largest Skin Health & Beauty accounts. I now work full‑time on the Neutrogena Face business as a Client Insights Analyst while finishing my degree, contributing directly to a high‑visibility client during a critical onboarding period. As part of the Kenvue launch, I help support the acquisition and training of more than 500 employees, ensuring they feel confident navigating Circana data, tools, and reporting platforms. In my day‑to‑day work, I deliver insights and analysis tied to key Neutrogena business priorities, execute pricing analyses using Unify+ and advanced Excel functions, and present clear, data-backed recommendations to client leadership. I also build and distribute weekly executive topline reports, quickly pulling syndicated data to answer urgent business questions and support fast-moving decisions across the brand. I am excited to continue this role post-graduation.
Who is your favorite business professor? My favorite business professor is Beth Schinoff because she pairs excellent teaching with a truly compassionate, student‑centered approach. She remembers the details students share – internship worries, family updates, career goals – and she follows up unprompted weeks later to check in, offer encouragement, or connect you with someone who can help. In her Organizational Behavior class, she created a community where every student felt known and welcomed; she invited quieter voices into the conversation, and she tailored guidance to each person’s path. It’s not just that she teaches well – it’s that she makes you feel like your growth genuinely matters to her.
Working with her as a teaching assistant has only deepened that impression. She is the professor who stays after class to talk through a tough decision, who sends a quick note before an interview to boost your confidence, and who celebrates your wins with real joy. She’s currently sponsoring an experiential course for me so I can complete my degree while working full time – an act of generosity that has changed what’s possible for me this semester. Professor Schinoff leads with kindness, remembers what matters to her students, and shows up, consistently and thoughtfully. I’m profoundly grateful for the example she sets, the kindness she leads with, and the mentorship she has given me.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? My biggest advice is to approach your business education with openness and curiosity. Don’t feel pressure to commit to one path right away – business is one of the few fields where exploring widely is not only allowed, it’s beneficial. Take classes in areas you’ve never considered, ask questions, try out different concentrations, and give yourself permission to change your mind as you learn more about what interests you. Some of the classes I ended up loving most weren’t required for my major; they were classes I tried simply because they sounded interesting or were once a part of what I thought was “for me”. Those experiences helped me understand not just what I enjoyed, but why.
Just as importantly, remember that discovering what you don’t like is just as valuable as finding what you do like. Each new course or direction you pursue – even the ones that don’t become long‑term passions – give you clarity. The flexibility of a business degree is one of its greatest strengths, so use those early semesters to explore as much as you can. You truly have nothing to lose – and everything to gain – by letting curiosity guide your journey.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? If I could change one thing about my business school experience, I would have pushed myself to get past the intimidation of networking much earlier. In the beginning, it felt awkward and easy to avoid; I overthought what to say, worried about being a burden, and told myself I’d try “later.” What I eventually realized is that nearly everyone feels that same hesitation, and it fades quickly once you start having real conversations. And for anyone who needs the nudge: try letting go of the idea that networking is “uncool.” Networking isn’t about perfect small talk; it’s about curiosity, listening, and building relationships one genuine interaction at a time.
Once I leaned in, everything shifted. Those conversations led to my first internship, which opened the door to the next one, and ultimately to the full‑time role that launched my career. I met mentors who advocated for me, peers who shared opportunities, and professionals who offered advice I still rely on. If I could go back, I’d start building more connections earlier – not just for the access it creates, but for the confidence, clarity, and momentum that come from engaging with people who want to see you succeed. Getting comfortable being uncomfortable changed my path; I only wish I’d learned that sooner.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? One of the most impactful ways UD has integrated AI into the business curriculum is through hands‑on simulations that mirror real decision‑making environments. In my Marketing capstone, we used an AI‑powered simulation that let us run a full marketing strategy for a virtual firm – adjusting pricing, product development, positioning, and promotional tactics while the AI dynamically responded to our choices in real time. It was the first time I truly felt like I was “running” a company, because every move we made affected demand, competition, and profitability. We did something similar in my International Business course, where AI reacted to our decisions across global markets, allowing us to apply frameworks and processes we’d learned in class with far less pressure than in real‑world scenarios.
The biggest insight I gained from using AI in these simulations is how valuable it is for practicing complex decisions before you ever have to make them in a real business environment. AI allowed us to test different strategies, see outcomes immediately, and understand the consequences of our choices without any real‑world risk. It taught me that AI isn’t just a tool for speed – it’s a tool for learning, because it creates a safe space to experiment, adjust, and develop confidence in your decision‑making. It made the coursework more engaging, but more importantly, it made me more prepared for the kinds of analytical and strategic choices I now make in my career.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? In 2025, my marketing partner and I at Seaside Vacations and Sales were awarded the VRMA International Marketing Campaign of the Year for our six‑month anniversary campaign – a milestone that meant even more because I accomplished it while being a full‑time student and working nearly full‑time at Seaside. It was a demanding project with a small team and limited budget, but we were able to bring home the win for the company through thoughtful strategy, creativity, and a lot of determination.
I also applied much of what I learned at Lerner throughout the process: my business analytics coursework helped me interpret performance data and understand audience behavior, while my marketing classes shaped the creative storytelling and emotional connection behind the campaign. Those analytical and creative skills guided many of the decisions we made, helping the campaign outperform every metric in company history. It was one of the first times I felt both sides of my major working together in a real‑world setting, which made the achievement even more meaningful.
Which classmate do you most admire? The classmate I admire most is Anna Nichols. Anna is one of those rare people who combines academic excellence with an extraordinary ability to make others feel supported, seen, and capable. She works with me in Career Services, and I’ve watched firsthand how intentionally she interacts with students – she remembers their stories, follows up, and makes each person feel like their goals matter. Students genuinely light up when she helps them, because she brings warmth, patience, and genuine care into every conversation. Beyond that, Anna is deeply involved in empowering women in business through her leadership in Women in Business at UD, where she helps uplift others and create spaces where women feel confident and represented. She also brings her creativity and strategic thinking into her role as VP of Social Media, elevating the organization’s presence and growing its impact across campus.
What makes Anna even more impressive is how she balances all of this while excelling academically and taking on standout professional experiences. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Psi, demonstrating dedication, professionalism, and leadership within her business fraternity. And one of the experiences that speaks volumes about her ambition and adaptability is her internship with a French château, where she handled marketing and communications across countries, cultures, and time zones. Working internationally at such a young age requires flexibility, confidence, and exceptional communication – and she thrived. Anna manages a full schedule with grace, compassion, and purpose, never losing sight of what matters most: uplifting the people around her. She is someone with limitless potential, and I cannot wait to see all she will accomplish.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? The people I am most grateful to thank for my success are my parents. They have believed in me from the very beginning, long before I ever believed in myself. They’ve celebrated every win with genuine pride and stood by me through setbacks, stress, and moments of doubt with unwavering steadiness. No matter what challenges I’ve faced, they have been the constant source of encouragement reminding me that I could handle more than I thought I could. Their confidence in me has always felt like a safety net – not one that catches me when I fall, but one that gives me the courage to take bigger leaps.
Beyond their support, my parents have shaped who I am at my core. They’ve modeled hard work, empathy, humility, and resilience in ways that have influenced how I show up in school, work, and life. Every opportunity I’ve had, every milestone I’ve reached, and every challenge I’ve overcome has been grounded in the foundation they gave me. I wouldn’t be the person I am, or have achieved the things I have, without their constant love, guidance, and belief in my potential.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
- To give back to the next generation of young professionals through meaningful mentorship.
- To return to entrepreneurship in the later stages of my career and build something of my own again.
What made Julia such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?
“Julia was a student in my Basics of Business Honors First-Year Seminar – and from the first day of freshman year until now, she is the one of the most positive, energetic, hardworking students I have ever met. Julia cares deeply for those around her and for being a mentor – she has been a peer mentor not only in the Lerner College for the first-year seminar, but going to our alternate campus (Wilmington, DE) to serve as a peer mentor and Teaching Assistant for students in the Associate Program, helping them understand business and opportunities available to them via a four-year business degree. Julia represents Lerner at many of our recruitment events, talking to prospective and admitted students about her experiences and running tours and is a student intern with Lerner Career Services. She manages all these responsibilities alongside her demanding coursework, her marketing positions, and her VRMA Marketing Campaign international award-winning project “with a quiet tenacity that is both consistent and inspiring” (Minda Watson, Assistant Director of Lerner Career Services).”
Julia Bayuk
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, Professor of Marketing
Lerner College of Business and Economics
University of Delaware
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