Mariel Calara
Communication & Leadership
Class of 2021
How are you using the skills that you learned at Moody in your current role?
As a former Communication and Leadership major, I'm applying the invaluable lessons I learned about leadership and interpersonal communication all the time. I'm passionate about mentorship and am often reflecting on my own leadership style. Leadership is a two-way street; it's been a journey for me managing up as an entry-level employee to getting promoted and now mentoring interns and junior strategists. The creative campaigns that my team is working to bring to life Facebook's rebrand to Meta are nothing but great feats of collaboration, leadership, and of course, communication.
How are you enjoying NYC?
Ever since I was part of the first class of the UTNY Program in Fall 2019, I've been captivated by this city. The energy here is unparalleled, and it feels like I'm always meeting new and interesting people that inspire me to grow. NYC TikTok is next level and helps me explore hidden gems throughout the city, everything from beautiful botanical gardens to the cutest dog cafes.
Were you involved in student orgs on campus?
I was actively part of the UGS Council and Quidditch! I've actually joined a Quidditch team here in Brooklyn as well :)
What advice do you have for #TEXASMoody students?
During college, the pressure to find an internship or have it all figured out is so overwhelming. My advice is a bit unconventional but listen to Billy Joel's "Vienna" because I find the song's lyrics, like "Slow down you're doing fine... when will you realize, Vienna waits for you?", comforting and grounding because it's a helpful reminder to be kinder towards yourself on this long-term journey of figuring out who you are, your career, building confidence, and being more in tune with yourself. Unfortunately, the uncertainty never really goes away, but with time, you truly grow and get better at handling it.
Be kinder towards yourself on this long-term journey of figuring out who you are, your career, building confidence, and being more in tune with yourself. Unfortunately, the uncertainty never really goes away, but with time, you truly grow and get better at handling it.
What do you miss most about Moody College?
I miss the professors and taking such interesting classes that I still think about to this day.
Can you talk about your career path?
The journey I had during undergraduate was more of a winding path than my career journey. I started undeclared, had various internships that ranged anywhere from music design to social media and account management, conducted hundreds of informational interviews, did the UTNY program, and a research project in Rome, etc. College was all about exploration, and all the exposure and experiences I had led me to identify my passion for brand storytelling which is what led me to my internship and first full-time job out of school at the renowned global advertising agency that is Droga5. I'm proud of the work I've done and all my contributions, and I've recently been promoted to mid-level. This really is my dream job, and I'm very grateful that I embraced a "I don't know what I want to do, but I'll explore everything" mindset during college because it led me here.
What classes/professors helped the most?
Dr. JB and Dr. Drumwright are for sure professors I will treasure forever and to this day still keep in contact with. I think about Daly's Interpersonal Communication class a lot as well. I minored in Italian, and the curiosity and ability to dive into a new language are skills I bring with me to work when I conduct research on brands for my team.
IG/Twitter handle/LinkedIn: @marielthestrategist (IG) /mariel calara (LinkedIn)