Traditional Writing Samples

A CAREER IN MARKETING

While many define a career in marketing as selling through communicating, it is so much more than that. Marketing also includes fostering relationships with consumers, advocating for your business or organization and endless strategies to drive the future of your company. Therefore, this profession is intricately involved in the success of a business.

Although the ideas of marketing began with the Industrial Revolution simply as selling goods and services, increased competition and advancements in technology have continued to evolve the field over the years. Marketing professionals did not become prominent in business until competition became fierce in the 1960s. Businesses needed these specialized employees to strategize how to most effectively communicate with consumers. When the internet was developed, a marketing presence became event more vital. Along with the internet, social media has brought about a need for adding a digital aspect to the mix.

Marketing today has become a labyrinth of channels available for communication including the internet, social media, print, email, radio, TV and direct mail. The main role of a marketing professional is to communicate with consumers and create interest in their products or services. Doing this may include working with staff on budgets and marketing plans, planning promotional campaigns, designing ads and websites, and developing pricing strategies. The work environment for marketers can often be stressful as there are generally tight deadlines to meet. They work closely with top executives as their work directly affects revenue. Most marketers work full-time and often over 40 hours a week to meet the demands of the job. Although salaries may vary, the median salary for Marketing Mangers was $142,170 in May 2020.

Management level in the marketing profession often requires a Bachelor’s Degree in communications, advertising or journalism. Work experience can range from sales positions to public relations. Completing an internship can be extremely useful in entering the field. There are many specialized fields in marketing and doing research on each of them can help you find which ones are in high demand and the right fit for you. Another thing that can help you enter the field would be to grow your contact base. Networking at local chamber events as well as seeking connections on LinkedIn can be beneficial to getting to know others in the same line of work.

With the growth that has occurred in the marketing field over the past 50 years, so has the outlook for employment growth. It is projected to grow 6% from 2019 to 2029. As companies continue to strive for their share of the market, the need for skilled marketing professionals will be in demand. They hold the multi-faceted skills needed to educate the public and staff for support, to create a need for products and services, and to reach the intended target market. Additionally, during the pandemic over the past 18 months, many companies have realized the crucial importance of communicating with consumers. All of these factors show very optimistic growth in the marketing field in the next decade and there are plenty of opportunities for advancement.

I am pursuing a career in the marketing field because it appeals to my desire for purpose-driven leadership. This profession is exciting to me since it thrives on innovation and results. I enjoy using my creative skills to enhance messaging to people and am very data-driven in all projects I pursue. I love to learn and marketing demands immense learning and acquiring new skills. My superlative organization skills give me ability to plan and prioritize to meet deadlines.  I firmly believe my creativity, communication skills and analytical abilities make this an ideal career path for me and there are many things I know I can contribute to this profession including a passion for communication and relations with both the community and staff.

Wheaton Junior Woman’s Club

Deanna  Sherpan

President

1777 S Blanchard Street

Wheaton, IL 60189

Dear Ms. Sherpan,

There’s nothing more important than supporting community. This is something the Wheaton Junior Woman’s Club has in common with my organization, Diveheart. Making a difference by helping people with disabilities is at the core of both of our organizations. Similar to your Buddy Baseball program, Diveheart offers opportunities to the those with disabilities in our community through scuba diving and related activities.

We are currently on the Quest of a Thousand Amigos and inspire 1,000 friends, groups or organizations to donate $1,000 each in support of our diving programs. What does it mean to be a Diveheart Amigo? It means that you become an integral part of a generous community who help children, adults and veterans with disabilities experience the weightless wonder of water and experience things they never dreamed of. More information on how you can complete your donation can be found here https://www.diveheart.org/fundraiser/. Since service is important to your organization, perhaps your members would be interested in the volunteer opportunities we offer. These include positions in both the diving program as well as administrative and operations capacity. Either of these options would be a great start for us to build a valuable relationship.

We believe this partnership with further enhance your mission to give back to the community. Additionally, some of the participants in your Buddy Baseball program could benefit from our dive programs and vice versa. These benefits could include more media exposure and a wider market reach. This could be the beginning of a great cross-promotional opportunity for both of us! It just makes sense.

Thank you for considering how you can help us reach our goal of giving our divers the opportunity to build confidence, independence and self-esteem. If you would like to discuss how you can become a Diveheart Amigo or sign up for volunteer opportunities, please feel free to reach out to me at potters42@dupage.edu.

Sincerely,

Sheri Potter

College of DuPage Student  

CHRIS BLOCK'S ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

There are three things you can say for certain about Christopher Block. First, he is adventurous. Second, he is a diver. Third, he is a quadriplegic living his best life through Diveheart’s programs. From one single flier with a cute girl on the cover, Chris has discovered a life of opportunity, beauty, and kindness.

 Let’s start in 2016. Chris was attempting a bicycle stunt in a friend’s backyard when he went over the ramp head first. Even though he had a helmet on, he broke his neck at C-5 and was left paralyzed from the collarbones down. He rehabilitated at the Shirley Ryan Ability Center. While he was there, Chris noticed a flier that caught his attention. The flier advertised a free event at Diverheart where anyone could come try out diving. Chris tried it. And he loved it.

Chris had no idea what to think or expect prior to his first dive. The aches and pains caused by sitting in his wheelchair all day vanished and he was weightless and care free. The unexpected sounds were peaceful and relaxing. It occurred to him that the sounds of the water and sea life meant that even blind divers would be able to experience beauty while diving.

Once he started diving, Chris found that it quickly became part of his identity. People asked about his diving experiences, and he could see people shifted their view of him to Chris the diver instead of Chris the quadriplegic. Diving changed the way other people interacted with Chris. Similarly, interacting with the amazing staff and volunteers at Diveheart has had a lasting impact on Chris. He was able to put his life in their hands without hesitation and has never had a bad experience with anyone at Diveheart. Even if he doesn't know them well, every person he interacts with from Diveheart makes him feel at home in the respectful and kind community they create around the beauty of the dive.

Chris recently had the opportunity to experience a trip of a lifetime to Cozumel with Diveheart. The gorgeous weather and scenery, along with the kindest island people, made for the perfect location. The trip included 10 dives that were done during both the day and nighttime. Chris was fortunate enough to have his trip funded in its entirety for both him and his caregiver that is needed to travel with him. This $4,000 was raised with the help of Diveheart through crowdfunding with friends and family.

If you were to ask Chris what he would say about Diveheart to others who have similar injuries, he would answer “What are you waiting for?!” He encourages everyone to get involved with Diveheart because there is something for everyone. From divers to volunteers to donors, Diveheart is full of the most respectful, loving and kind people. Chris can’t imagine his life without diving and he hopes that others can find the beauty and joy themselves through Diveheart.

YOU'RE NOT BROKEN

Sheri was finally celebrating her 50th birthday on a weekend getaway with friends. The pandemic had delayed it a year and the time away was much needed for everyone. Especially Sheri. One morning, as the sounds of the lake surrounded her, Sheri took some time for herself to process the last year and how her mental health journey had come full circle. Sheri thought back to always being a happy child – anxious and nervous at times – but always happy. She was the typical middle child and always tried to keep everyone else happy, too. Growing up in a family of six, that wasn’t easy at times. She sat and pondered how she went from the always happy child to battling depression and recently helping her young adult son through the same illness.

The journey for Sheri has been long and filled with times of sadness, shame, and hopelessness, but also times of triumph and gratefulness. After her and her husband had tried for a few years to conceive, they welcomed a beautiful baby boy in 1999. Together they made the decision that Sheri would stay home and care for their son. It just made sense financially for them. The first few weeks were a blur full of little sleep and moments of questioning how on earth the hospital let them leave with a baby and no instruction manual. But they were doing it, and things were going quite well. And then, BAM! Sheri’s days began to fill with sadness and tears. Why, she wondered? She had a wonderful husband, the baby she longed for and in her eyes, a great life. One day when her husband came home from work, he found her like he did many times over the past couple weeks, in tears. They talked and Sheri just honestly couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong. Instead, she finally admitted, “I need help.”

Nobody likes to say those words and when she said them about her mental health, Sheri felt like a failure and that she was broken. At the visit with her doctor, she told Sheri one thing that has stayed with her since then - she was not broken and didn’t need to be fixed. People suffer all kinds of illnesses and they aren’t broken. Mental illness was no different. It was decided that she would begin a combination of anti-depressants and counseling. And, things got better.

A single tear flowed down Sheri’s face as she now recounted the past few months of reliving the fight of depression with her son. Ryne had a bought with depression when he was a sophomore in high school. Through counseling, he fought to make positive changes and by his junior year was mentally on track. He graduated high school and began college five hours away from home. The transition was tough, but he overcame the challenges and was flourishing. And then, BAM! During Spring Break of his sophomore, the world was ordered to shelter in place. As a gamer, Ryne thought he was living his best life – he could stay in his room all he wanted! As the days turned into weeks and then months, he continued to be content with this. Or so Sheri thought.

That fall, plans were being made to move Ryne back to school. A week before move-in day, he suffered an anxiety attack as he was pondering the effects of living in close quarters without a vaccine in place. Over the next few days, the attacks continued until they were debilitating. Sheri wondered why this was happening. Was it the depression creeping back in? He continued his studies online and began therapy once more. Over the next few months, he improved and the anxiety had disappeared. Or so Sheri thought.

Once again in January, plans were in place to move Ryne to school. Bags were packed and the hotel was booked for mom and dad. There was almost a glimpse of excitement in Ryne’s eyes. But it wasn’t exactly excitement. When they arrived on campus, Ryne exited the car and immediately vomited. He had suffered from car sickness as a child so Sheri chalked it up to a bad car ride. After a few hours, everything was moved in and unpacked and they headed to dinner. Ryne didn’t eat much, which anyone who knows him would know is not normal. But most people aren’t that hungry with an upset stomach, right? Not exactly.

Since none of his friends had moved back to the floor, Ryne asked to stay at the hotel that night. They enjoyed a night of TV, games and conversation as a family. After breakfast in the morning, they began their short trip across town to drop Ryne off and head back home. It seemed like any other time they had dropped him off. There was a sad face, a few tears and they a wave. Sheri and her husband headed down the highway with hopes of a great semester for him. Her husband looked over and said, “He’s going to be okay, mama.” Yes, he will be Sheri thought. And then the phone rang.

The single tear from before now turned to a steady stream down Sheri’s face. “Hey, boo! Did you forget to pack something?” Sheri asked. The sounds coming from the other end of the phone is something Sheri will never forget. Ryne was hyperventilating and barely able to speak. “Mom, I can’t do this alone!” Ryne started. “Do what?” Mom asked. “My depression is back and I haven’t been honest with you or myself about it,” he explained. And the breathing got more difficult for him. Sheri remembered the exercises she would do to calm herself during these episodes and she asked her husband to turn the car around and she led Ryne through them.

“Close your eyes. Think of three things that make you happy. Now, think of three things you can smell. Now, think of three things you can touch. Now think of three sounds you enjoy. Now think of three things you enjoy looking at. Now take three deep breaths. Sheri continued these questions and exercises with Ryne until they arrived back on campus. After a lengthy family discussion, they packed everything back up and headed home.

That night, the family discussed the days events and what plan they were going to follow in the months ahead. Sheri’s husband began with, “how can we fix this?” Sheri immediately thought back to the conversation with her own doctor at the beginning of her illness. “We are not fixing anything,” she said, “he’s not broken!” Ryne looked up and half smiled. Therapy would begin again and a call to the doctor would be made the next day about getting the assistance of medication. It was time. Ryne had fought the hard battle of facing this illness and it was apparent he needed the extra physiological support. Now, what about school?

Ryne was determined to continue school. He contacted the school and worked through the process of getting his classes transferred to online and cancelling his housing contract. Therapy began and the medication was started. Self-care checklists were created and a daily plan was in place for the continuation of Ryne’s mental health journey. They fought and they fought together as a family. Just before leaving for this birthday weekend, Ryne made the decision to transfer to a local college in the fall. And he was better. Much better.

Sheri wiped the tears from her face as she realized how her own journey assisted her in helping her son through his journey. Realizing you’re not broken is one of the biggest steps of this and you don’t need fixed. Sheri talks openly with people about her depression. Generally, it is met with, “but you always seem so happy!” Yes, she is happy. But it took a lot to get here, and a little help from a little white pill. “Sheri! Breakfast is ready,” her friend called from the balcony. And she was ready, too. To celebrate not only her birthday, but life and all the struggles and victories that come with it.