Experience Overview

About Lucas

When I graduated from Illiana Christian High School in 2017, I was unsure of what direction to take in college. The first class I took at Purdue Northwest was fundamentals of speech, and I immediately knew that communication was the major for me. The next summer, I landed a marketing internship at a local agency called National Marketing Group. Under great leadership and personal mentorship, I gained an accelerated understanding of digital marketing.

​The next summer, I headed south to Atlanta, GA, for another internship at Flaming Heart Ministries. At FHM, I was able to apply all of my learnings to help a not-for-profit business substantially increase its audience base and viewership. At each of the internships, I learned how to build customer awareness and utilize SEO techniques. I was also able to observe effective leadership qualities in various settings including strategic planning sessions, client presentations, and workplace interactions.

When I returned to Purdue Northwest for the following semester, I was given the opportunity to lead a group of 14 students in my senior capstone course. The class, titled 'Practicum in Radio and Television,' is charged with increasing brand awareness and viewership for 'The Roundtable Perspective' on Lakeshore PBS.

As the account director and project leader, I worked collaboratively with our client to increase YouTube viewership by 15%. I guided the advertising, PR, graphic design, and social media department leaders within the class. I had the privilege of receiving mentorship from the class professor, Mary Beth O'Connor, who has worked as a producer on many successful projects, including “Big Brother” on CBS.

At the end of the semester, I led a client IMC presentation in which we presented the work we achieved throughout the semester. The original goal of increasing Roundtable Perspective viewership by 15% was significantly exceeded, as viewership was increased by 29%. The project was overwhelmingly successful as the goal was met within the established budget of $1,200.

You can view the full integrated marketing communication plan detailing all that was achieved during the course by clicking this link.

In addition to my marketing and leadership experience, I have always had a deep passion for film. My father and I would go and see movies playing on the big screen at a young age. Though I didn’t always follow the story, I have many memories of becoming transfixed by the moving images on the screen. Over time, my love for movies began to develop more and more. I started watching films by myself, examining shots and performances, and finding deeper meaning with every film I saw.
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​During my senior year at Purdue Northwest, I created two short documentary features and one music video for a video production course. The class was a great way for me to test my creative abilities and dip my toes into the video production world. In addition to this experience, I have been a production assistant for multiple short-length features. One being “Wake Up Call,” which screened at the Music Box Theatre as part of Chicago’s “48 Hour Film Festival.”

I am looking forward to beginning my career and contributing to a company where I can grow and expand my skillset. I believe all of these experiences have been an important part of my journey, and I am so excited to see where I land next.

I’d love to get in touch!