After studying both Media and Journalism and English Literature at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Sophia Alem started a new adventure in New York City but left an impact on her family at the 1893 Brand Studio. 

A recent graduate in the Class of 2023, Alem has found her passion in the field of pharmaceutical marketing for ConcentricLife as a junior designer in New York. Before going to the Big Apple, Alem joined the 1893 Brand Studio during her junior year at UNC because she wanted to gain real-life project-based experience. She had a love for media design and wanted to learn what it was like to work for a client hands-on. “COVID made it difficult to put my design skills to use, so the Brand Studio seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn more about something that I already loved so much.” 

Alem started on the design team but quickly rose to the position of marketing director. With limited knowledge of how the role worked, she quickly learned how to participate in market research and communicate with clients. She uses the skills she learned as marketing director in her current position saying, “Without the Brand Studio, I don’t think I would have been as prepared for my post-grad job as I was.” The 1893 Brand Studio allotted her the opportunity to develop marketable skills outside of what she was studying and “brought a diverse experience that allowed the development of both hard and soft skills.” 

While working on the design team, Alem worked closely with clients like The Helium Agency and Supply Chain Partners. She said, “Working with real clients taught me how to form lasting relationships with people in the field.” After transitioning to working as a marketing manager, Alem worked on creating the pitch that succeeded in securing Spicy 9 as a client, which was a huge win for 1893 Brand Studio. 

“The relationships I made at the Brand Studio were a super impactful part of my college career. Learning to be a leader and forming connections with people has helped me a lot with my post-graduate experiences.”