Ashley German is an icon. From being nominated for TCU’s Outstanding Senior award by her sorority to securing multiple internships during her time in college to having one of the cutest personal Instagram grids in Fort Worth, there’s really nothing she can’t do. This year, she’s taken on a new challenge: being the president of Roxo, TCU’s student-run advertising agency.
Founded in 2011, Roxo is an advertising agency run entirely by TCU students. It started with only 12 students but has grown to a staff of 32 today. Roxo members have the opportunity to work with local businesses, influencers, and nonprofits to create professional advertising and public relations campaigns.
Ashley’s love for Roxo started before she even got to TCU. During her senior year of high school speech class, she wrote a fake resumé for where she wanted to be in five years. On it: Roxo employee.
When she was a junior, she applied and was accepted to the agency as a social media manager. The next semester, she was promoted to Social Media Director for Roxo, managing three social media managers and writing copy for over 50 posts on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
When asked if she ever planned on being the president, Ashley said, “I never really intended on doing it. When I first started, I knew I wanted to do another semester. I never thought I would do three semesters because typically students only do two. I thought to myself, I’m really not done being here, so what else is there for me? I thought it would be fun to be on exec because I loved the team and being hands-on with clients.”
During the actual reapplication process, Ashley kept her dreams to herself. “We (the Roxo team) care about each other’s success, so we don’t want to create tension or bad feelings between each other.” However, Ashley’s passion and true love for Roxo shined through, and she was named the 2021 Roxo President.
A Day In the Life
As a senior, Ashley’s day-to-day activities already involve a lot, from senior-level classes to job hunting. As Roxo President, she is also in charge of overseeing the entire agency. On a typical day, she sends team updates, checks Slack, and makes sure that there are no emergencies. Her job is to make sure that everything is running smoothly and be in constant communication with the executive team and the Roxo advisors.
In addition, Ashley and the other two executive team members, VP of Creative & Culture, Ty King, and VP of Business Development, Preston Harless, lead the Roxo class and have team meetings. This is Ashley’s first semester in-person in Roxo, as it is for most of their members. Since classrooms have size restrictions, the Roxo team cannot meet in their office and the group has to be split. Because of this, the executive team has to present two classes back-to-back, and the agency members have not been able to meet each other in person as a large group.
Through all of these challenges, Ashley’s main goal is to support her team. “I tend to idolize people in leadership positions in a way, but I didn’t want people to feel that way about me. I wanted people to feel comfortable coming to me. If you make a mistake, it’s even harder if you feel unsupported by your leadership or you feel like you’re going to be in trouble,” she said. For her, the most rewarding part of being president is getting to see her teammates live out their goals and to see a glimpse into the rest of their lives.
When dealing with her teammates, Ashley tries to tread the fine line between professionalism, relatability, and seriousness. “My biggest fear is letting down clients or just Roxo, in general,” she says. “There’s this constant impostor syndrome. I just have to remind myself that, hey, senior year (of high school) Ashley would be really proud of you.”
Ashley’s advice to younger students is simple. “Take advantage of every opportunity given to you. You’re never too busy to further your career. Don’t listen to the doubt you have in yourself. I think that’s what a lot of college students experience. If you even have that little inkling of consideration, look into it.”
As for her future plans, Ashley believes that the experiences that she’s had in Roxo have prepared her well. “Roxo has had a significant impact on my career,” she says, “I know that the opportunities I will have for the rest of my life will be because of Roxo. People in Roxo have a leg up because of the real-world experience that they have.”
Her current goal is to walk across the stage at graduation with a job secured, but she’s realized that she’ll have to be patient. One thing’s for sure, though — Ashley German will be the next big name in the advertising world.
“I’m head over heels for advertising. I love the creative process. I don’t have anything specific I want to do at an ad agency, I just want to be there. I just want to make really cool ads for the rest of my life.”