May 19, 2010

Wayne State marketing major is one of 20 in the United States to earn national internship from the American Advertising Federation

Wayne State University marketing student Chioke McRae of Detroit was recently selected for the 2010 Vance L. Stickell Memorial Internship Program. The program is part of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) and offers 20 competitive internships to the nation's most outstanding advertising students. McRae was one of 48 AAF students nominated nationwide and is the first Wayne State University student to earn this internship. McRae will be placed at Leo Burnett in Chicago and begins his internship in June.

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Chioke McRae (right) was nominated by mentor, Richard Beltramini (left) for the American Advertising Federation honor.

"It's an honor and a blessing to be considered one of the top 20 American Advertising Federation students in the country," said McRae. "I'm excited for the challenge of competing outside of my comfort zone, making new friends and learning more about advertising while living in such a vibrant city for the summer."

The AAF partners with well-known advertising and media agencies around the world to provide Stickell interns with valuable preparation for their advertising careers. The Chicago office of Leo Burnett, a full-service, multinational advertising and marketing firm, will host McRae as its 2010 summer intern.

"I will be an account management intern, so I anticipate assisting account leaders in managing some of their brands," says McRae. "Whatever they want me to do, I will be excited to do it."

McRae says that he is eager to work on packaged goods at Leo Burnett and believes that this will increase his value for future employers. Leo Burnett's clients include Visa, McDonald's, Nintendo and Coca-Cola.

Richard Beltramini, professor of marketing and faculty adviser to Wayne State's AAF chapter, nominated McRae for the program. Nominations can only be made by AAF advisers, who may recommend only one student. Selections are made based on industry aptitude, GPA, recommendation, leadership experience, an essay and ad redesign.

"Chioke McRae is a natural advertising professional," Beltramini said. "He shows the rest of the students what can be accomplished with extra effort, and I'm so very proud of him being the first Wayne State student awarded a Stickell internship."

McRae joined Wayne State's AAF chapter in 2007 and engaged in many leadership roles during his membership, including his current role as president of the chapter. He has coordinated tours and meetings with advertising agencies and digital technology companies, and has played a leading role in the school's participation in the AAF's National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). He is also an original student member of "what box," the business school's student-run integrated marketing communications agency. The student agency works with business startups at WSU's TechTown. Beltramini said that McRae now does a great job leading the nine-person "what" box staff, which supports an array of companies.

"Since meeting Dr. Beltramini in 2007, I knew I would have an opportunity to accomplish great things with Wayne State AAF if I worked hard," McRae said. "To see the fruition that my hard work has resulted in is just awesome."

Wayne State University is a premier urban research university offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.

The School of Business Administration at Wayne State University provides quality business education through degree programs accredited by AACSB International.