Christopher Montepara ’14 Wins Philly Ad Club Scholarship

Christopher Montepara, a business administration student concentrating in marketing and entrepreneurship, has been awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the Philly Ad Club.

Montepara, who is from Boiling Springs, Pa., serves as vice president and media and marketing director for Drexel’s Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA). So far, he has co-oped the marketing departments of Siemens Healthcare and Cigna Insurance.

“Both of these companies gave me great insight into the wide range of opportunities available in the marketing field. While at Siemens, I learned a lot about the customer-facing aspect of marketing while working on PowerPoints, posters and other collateral. Siemens also gave me the opportunity to work with and meet a wide range of people including senior executives and customers which helped to build my interpersonal skills.

“Cigna, on the other hand, gave me a better look at the behind-the-scenes strategic aspect of marketing. There, I honed my market research, business and strategic analysis skills. These two co-ops have given me valuable insight into the field of marketing and insight into where I see myself in the future.”

Hyokjin Kwak, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing, nominated Montepara, who says he is “excited about the future opportunities that this award and a membership in the Philly Ad Club may bring.”

He plans to begin his career working in marketing or advertising, and eventually work his way up to branding. “I also hope to one day own my own company,” he says.