Name: Katie Brady Age: 21 Year: senior Major: advertising Hometown: Bradenton, FL
Her Campus: What is your position on campus? Katie Brady: “I’m the president of Ad Society.”
HC: How did you get involved? KB: “I joined my freshman year. I think I was two weeks into UF and someone told me about Ad Society so I applied immediately — way before I even should have because they weren’t having meetings yet. Since then, I fell in love, and I knew I really wanted to be really involved so I tried to do as much as I could. I started seeking out higher-level positions; I was assistant director and I directed some committees. The next step was to just apply to be president to bring it full circle.”
HC: What is your favorite part of being in Ad Society? KB: “My favorite part of Ad Society is that it’s taught me so much, not only about advertising but also about myself. I’ve been in it for four years, so I’ve been making a lot of friends; the friends I have today I made through Ad Society. It’s just become a huge piece of me within my college experience. I don’t know what I’d be doing if I wasn’t involved.”
HC: And the biggest challenge? KB: “The biggest challenge, I would say, probably came with presidency. I knew it was going to be a lot of work, but it’s just every day there’s something to think about. I have a whole Sticky Notes app on my computer dedicated to Ad Society: Don’t forget to check our mail today; did that check go through? Did so and so do this? There’s just always something to think about.”
HC: What other things are you involved in on campus? KB: “I work in the advising office in the College of Journalism. I’m also involved in the dean’s Student Advisory Council. We’re getting an advertising and PR agency (in the college), so I’m part of the student committee bringing that to life. We’re building the agency right now.”
HC: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? KB: “I see myself out of state and working at an advertising agency, hopefully doing account management… working at an agency somewhere kind of urban and cool.”
HC: What is your dream job? KB: “I interned with the Leo Burnett agency in Chicago for three months, so the dream is just snagging a job and securing a position so I can go back.”
HC: What are your hobbies? KB: “Binging on Netflix — starting an entire series; not even watching movies, just watching TV series. I’m getting back into yoga, which is cool.”
HC: Do you have any hidden talents? KB: “I once took a couple aerial dance classes on campus. I’m nowhere near skilled, but I do know a few basic silk poses.”
HC: Who is your role model? KB: “My mom. Even now, I’m almost 22 and I still seek her advice about every single thing. From little daily things like I left my window down and my car got rained on and I’m like, ‘What do I do?’ I also trust her business advice because she’s kind of in a similar field. As I get older I’m also getting to know her as a person. She’s not just my mom, and I’m like, ‘You’re so cool!’ I’m just a mini version of her already.”
HC: What advice would you give to new students? KB: “I would say to do as much as you can. If you’re a freshman, attend all the IRHA midnight breakfast things and go to everything in your dorm, regardless of which college you’re in. Try to join clubs and do student activities. The more you do, the smaller the college feels, and that’s how you find yourself.”
HC: What is your favorite memory at UF so far? KB: “Studying abroad in Australia with the College of Journalism and Communications.”