Out of all of the college and universities to attend, there’s a reason you chose Fairfield. Whether it is the Jesuit values, personal classroom experience, beautiful campus or proximity to the beach, you became a Stag. While you know that attending Fairfield University was the right step towards a successful future, prospective students might not have discovered that yet, which is where Jennifer Anderson comes in.
Jennifer Anderson is a two-time alumna (’97, MBA’02) of Fairfield University, and started as the Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications this past August. Her goal is to keep Fairfield at the top of prospective students minds through media relations. This is beneficial to all of us because when Fairfield is at the top of prospective students minds, it’s likely to be at the top of prospective employers minds as well.
It is exciting for someone as passionate and fresh-minded like Jennifer Anderson to join our community. Read on to learn about our first Celebrity Alumna and hear from Stag to Stag just how strong our alumni network is.
Her Campus: What did you major in at Fairfield, and did you ever think you would end up here again?Jennifer Anderson: I started off as an accounting major, and quickly realized that accounting wasn’t for me. I ended up majoring in English, with a minor in Religious Studies. I didn’t realize at the time how fundamental to my career the English Major’s curriculum would be. When I graduated, I worked for Greenwich Magazine (now Moffley Media) as an Assistant Editor, which was also great publication experience before moving into a Corporate environment. When I came back to Fairfield for my MBA, I concentrated in Marketing. I never imagined I would be back at Fairfield, let alone running the Marketing and Communications organization, but I couldn’t be more excited.
HC: As an undergraduate, what were you involved in? Do you wish you were involved with more things? JA: I loved being involved. I started out as a freshman on the woman’s Varsity Tennis team, and still to this day am very close friends with my two freshman teammates who became my roomates all four years. I left the tennis team in my sophomore year to pursue getting more involved in The Mirror student newspaper. By senior year, I was the Editor. Outside of those formal activities, I was always eager to volunteer or participate in fun activities that related to rooting our Basketball team to the NCAA tournament my senior year, or helping with the coordination of student/beach activities. I truly believed the experience that being involved in activities gave me was beneficial in my current career. It helps students collaborate, understand how to work together, share and often debate ideas, get a deep appreciation for logistics and the work it takes to execute events. I would recommend to all students to seek out and pursue getting involved in something you are passionate about.
HC: What do you believe is the best thing about a degree from Fairfield University, and being a Fairfield Alumna? JA: The connections you make. Whether it is my close college friends, my husbands (yes, he is a double alum too) friends, co-workers that you suddenly realize you have a connection with, or people you run into in your daily lives. The Fairfield Connections are deep and strong. When I joined Pitney Bowes at 23 years old, my CIO (Chief Operating Officer) at the time was a Fairfield grad. He invited me and other grads to his office once a quarter for lunch. It was his way of paying it back by inviting his fellow stags, and now colleagues, to create a deeper connection with him and support our careers. He did it because he realized over the course of his time at Fairfield, and then well-into his career, professors and alumni took an interest in helping him succeed. What better way to give back then to mentor a fellow alumnus.
HC: What is your position right now, and what are you looking to do?JA: I’m responsible for marketing and communications across the University. My team provides strategic and tactical oversight across advertising, digital marketing, public relations, community relations and integrated marketing support. We provide products and services that benefit the brand reputation of Fairfield University. Right now, my top priority is to ensure that the marketing and communications team is positioned to elevate Fairfield University to the “top of mind” for a broader range of prospective students in both our undergraduate and graduate programs. Working here, teaching here, attending here, you know that special engagement; you understand on a different level when people say, “It’s just a great school.” You get what they mean, and you connect. We need to work together to help people understand why the passion for our school is so strong on so many levels, through video, content, and other engagement-oriented techniques, but also through our collaboration. The connections, the bonds, the faculty, the education, the life-ready outcomes — I know my alumni friends get it… and the we need to continually demonstrate it in our marketing.
HC: Is there anything that students can do to help you?JA: Yes. Come to me with ideas. Students are the ones that can teach us so much about how to reach other prospective students and have great ideas for sharing the wonderful things that happen day in and day out on our campus. Students know what research projects they are working on that can impact our local community, region or even our nation. We need to share those stories! I will be forming a Student Marketing Advisory group early next year, and hope to create a place for students to provide consistent feedback. But in the mean time, I would love feedback and students ideas.
HC: Why do you think that this would benefit us?JA: In this digital age, each of us is connected to so many people. Whether it’s Snapchat, Instagram or any of the other social channels, the reach can be far. Think about this. If each of us re-tweeted or shared the post about Fairfield’s rankings, just imagine how far that would go! Translate that into the many great things we do here, and imagine the power social can have. I also think that the ideas students have are connected to our campus, our current student population, to prospective students – it is a very real prospective that can be powerful. And as an alumni, with many alumni friends, I can tell you we care deeply about Fairfield and thefuture directionof the University. Our students will soon be alumni too, and that passion for the University will continue for many years to come.
HC: Is there anything you think we should prepare to do as future Fairfield alums? JA: Make your connections and keep your connections. Never underestimate the importance of reaching out to professors, staff members or alumni, just to say hello or to ask for advice. People love to share their experience and help students & young alumni, take advantage of that. And as future alums, get involved. There is nothing that signifies a great experience more than graduating and staying connected to help future students.