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— Concentration in Marketing and Strategy
Associate Brand Management Intern, HJ Heinz
Nashville native Crystal Churchwell came to Owen with a Wellesley degree (in art history and philosophy) and previous work experience in the financial services and fashion industries in New York and, more recently, as business development assistant at Music City’s esteemed Frist Center for the Visual Arts.
Her varied experience, she realized, gave her Crystal, “a fragmented understanding of how different functions operated, [but] wanted to have a more holistic perspective of business.”
After visiting MBA programs, Crystal knew that Vanderbilt was the logical choice. “Owen was the only place where I felt comfortable the first time I stepped on campus and started talking to students,” she shares. “When you think of business school, you think cut-throat, you think competitive — or I did at least. Owen is not like that in the least. It’s very collaborative. The competition here is internal and self-driven, which speaks to the type of people we have here. They’re friendly, fun and smart.”
As VP of Special Events for the Owen Black Student Association and a member of the Vanderbilt Marketing Association, Crystal is immersed in campus life. She’s also poised to achieve her goal of working in marketing, after earning a brand management internship with HJ Heinz in Pittsburgh. “I’m excited,” she said, before leaving on her summer position. “Heinz is an iconic brand. And I love ketchup!”
Crystal Churchwell
Vanderbilt MBA 2013— Concentration in Marketing and Strategy
Associate Brand Management Intern, HJ Heinz
Getting a Holistic Perspective
Owen equips Churchwell for marketing careerNashville native Crystal Churchwell came to Owen with a Wellesley degree (in art history and philosophy) and previous work experience in the financial services and fashion industries in New York and, more recently, as business development assistant at Music City’s esteemed Frist Center for the Visual Arts.
Her varied experience, she realized, gave her Crystal, “a fragmented understanding of how different functions operated, [but] wanted to have a more holistic perspective of business.”
After visiting MBA programs, Crystal knew that Vanderbilt was the logical choice. “Owen was the only place where I felt comfortable the first time I stepped on campus and started talking to students,” she shares. “When you think of business school, you think cut-throat, you think competitive — or I did at least. Owen is not like that in the least. It’s very collaborative. The competition here is internal and self-driven, which speaks to the type of people we have here. They’re friendly, fun and smart.”
As VP of Special Events for the Owen Black Student Association and a member of the Vanderbilt Marketing Association, Crystal is immersed in campus life. She’s also poised to achieve her goal of working in marketing, after earning a brand management internship with HJ Heinz in Pittsburgh. “I’m excited,” she said, before leaving on her summer position. “Heinz is an iconic brand. And I love ketchup!”
