Amber Placke
Major: Marketing and Business Management
Year: Senior
Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz.
Dominick San Angelo
Major: Business Marketing
Year: Senior
Hometown: Tucson, Ariz.
Who doesn’t love two for the price of one? This week’s campus celebrities are seniors and Arizona natives, Amber Placke and Dominick San Angelo. Besides the fact that these two are involved in Greek life on campus, they receive popularity from another entity. Placke and San Angelo are the current marketing interns for Chipotle Restaurant with regard to University of Arizona. They’ve planned events, stormed dorms with free food, and even offered comfort to those of us single before Valentine’s Day. They admit that although it is an internship that requires hard work, they have a blast at it and have probably earned a few fans from their burrito resources. This week I sat down with Placke and San Angelo at the non stop busy Chipotle University Ave. location as they spilled the beans on what exactly they’ve got going on.
HC: What exactly are your positions and how long have you been involved?
Placke: We’re both titled at student brand management campus representatives and marketing interns. If we’re talking to college students we’re campus reps but in professional settings we’re referred to as marketing interns.
San Angelo: We’ve been in these positions for two years. We started at the end of sophomore year and we knew the previous intern so he connected us to the position and from there we interviewed for it.
HC: What are the most memorable events you’ve done?
San Angelo: One of the coolest was actually Amber’s idea to do a chips and guacamole dorm storm. We basically went to the dorms and got the R.A.’s permission to hand out free chips and guacamole. Everyone was pretty stoked to get something free that they weren’t expecting. It was a huge success. Another great one was last year. The day before Valentine’s Day we gave out free burritos to the first 100 people that were single and in line. We decided to call it Single Appreciation Day, also known as S.A.D.
HC: Are you currently working on any philanthropy events?
Placke: The most recent one we’re doing is this Saturday actually. Sigma Kappa has an ultraviolet dodgeball tournament and Chipotle is donating all of the food That helps the event a lot because then all of the money that is raised can go to the charity rather than paying for food expenses.
San Angelo: One of the cool things that Chipotle does is the way they construct their percentage nights. Chipotle will only do one if they know it will be huge. They donate 50 percent of sales which is much more than most restaurants. We raised money for Diamond Children’s Medical Center and raised over $2000 in one percentage night. If we do it, we do it big.
HC: Why do you think it’s important for the community to be involved with the University?
Placke: I think a lot of people know about Chipotle but our biggest job is to inform students about what makes Chipotle so special. Our food’s integrity and the thought that is put into the food that we use really sets us apart. The food they’re eating is healthier than many other restaurants.
San Angelo: Chipotle likes to give back to the university community. I think it’s important that as students we go to places that are contributing something.
HC: You talked about Chipotle providing fresher food, tell us about that.
San Angelo: Chipotle’s philosophy is the right way of buying products. All of our pork and beef is naturally raised. The animals have free range and were treated better. Forty percent of our beans are organic and we buy local produce whenever possible. It’s an effort to buy food that’s more sustainably grown and to be more responsible with the environment. The napkins are brown because we buy paper products that are post consumer materials. Every Chipotle is made with recyclable materials. Overall, it’s just this idea that you can produce good food but also do it the right way. I think a lot of people appreciate that.
HC: What made you want to become a marketing intern?
Placke: It’s the coolest campus rep job out there. We get to promote something that everyone is already obsessed with. It’s also fun to be able to give back and provide organizations with food.
San Angelo: It basically is a job where you get paid to make people happy and make their day better. Being a campus rep for Chipotle is kind of a notorious job. At parties people come up and talk to us about Chipotle, it’s a great brand to be associated with. No one is ever less happy upon getting a burrito or chips. It’s a lot of work but it’s also a lot of fun. – And we get lots of free Chipotle; I probably eat here three times a week!
HC: What are your career aspirations?
Placke: I have a job offer to be a buyer for Macy’s so I plan to accept that offer within the next few days. I’ve had the job offer for a couple of months now but I’m finally deciding what it is I want to do. I love Macy’s and being a buyer but New York (where the position is based out of) is going to be a huge change.
San Angelo: I’m taking the LSAT in Dec. so hopefully that goes well. I plan to graduate a semester late so this time I hope to be applying to law school. My dream school is Cal Berkeley. Obviously Harvard etc. would be amazing but a little unrealistic.
HC: Do you feel your internship has prepped you for upcoming positions?
Placke: It’s a great reference and an easy conversation topic in interviews. There have been challenges and it’s nice to be able to show things that you’ve done.
San Angelo: It also teaches you to reach out into the community and find creative ways to advertise your product. It also provides an element of creativity that you don’t get with other jobs but in a very basic way. Knowing how to talk about your brand and whom you work for is very important.
HC: Any advice to your peers?
Placke: Well we’re hiring for our positions next spring since we’ll both be graduating. If people are interested in getting involved with Chipotle, definitely contact us!
San Angelo: I would just say that internships in general are important; just apply! The surest way that you won’t get one is if you don’t apply for it. I think that people are intimidated by the process but I mean I applied for all kinds of internships and have gotten several, some I haven’t, the worst thing that they can say is no.
Throughout our interviews with various campus celebrities, there’s an established pattern. Amber Placke and Dominick San Angelo demonstrate this pattern once again, goals and determination. These University of Arizona students are a great example of the people that make up our institution. Students that are willing to work hard, help others, but also know the importance of loving what you do and having fun while doing it. Whether they’re storming the dorms, exercising the creative process, or doing what UA students are best at…”networking”, these two are doing work and loving every minute of it.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Arizona chapter.