Washington College American Marketing Association Chapter Shines in International Competition

For the third straight year, the College AMA chapter was named a top small chapter at the annual International Collegiate Conference.

Adding to a continuous string of success going back to 2019, the Washington College chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) won two competitions earlier this semester at the AMA International Collegiate Conference. The competing students were named a top small chapter for the third year in a row and also earned an Honorable Mention (4th place) in the Social Impact Video category.  

The AMA International Collegiate Community (AMA ICC) comprises 331 chapters across Canada, the U.S., and Puerto Rico, representing over 10,000 undergraduate members. Only a few competitions are divided into two categories (small and large chapters based on membership), including the Overall Chapter Performance competition. Two-thirds of the chapters are in the small category. The Social Impact Video competition in which the Washington AMA earned an honorable mention is judged against all competitors, large and small.  

The top small chapter honor recognizes outstanding performance in six functional areas: Professional Development, Community & Social Impact, Membership, Communications, Chapter Operations, and Finance. Each area has a leader and a team of students running the operations for the competition. The chapter submits a plan for the year in the fall, then issues an annual report in the spring reporting on how they accomplished those goals. AMA judges use the reports to determine honors for collegiate chapters. 

The students organize themselves into project teams, each with a project manager, and an elected executive board. The chapter is advised by business professor Caroline Le Bon, director of the marketing minor, and Georgina Bliss, assistant director of the Center for Career Development, who together provide structure and support to teach students project management best practices with tools and schedules that lead the chapter to successfully complete competitions on time. All students are eligible to apply for membership in the Washington College AMA because marketing thrives on the collective minds of diverse creative thinkers. 

Through working on competitive projects for the AMA ICC, Washington students master project management, writing, communication skills, appropriate uses of AI, professional development, and build a strong sense of collaboration and camaraderie among others. Most of the students in the Washington College AMA chapter then attend the International Collegiate Community conference in the spring for final competitions and awards. 

These experiences provide our students with invaluable opportunities to learn about professional conference structures, attend dozens of informative workshops, sessions, and panels with experts from Deloitte, Google, and Microsoft, benefit from exceptional career development, network, and participate in a robust career fair.  

“Students mingle at the conference with professionals. There are all sorts of opportunities for them to shine in front of all these professionals and potentially find a job,” Bliss said. “You want the AMA icon on your LinkedIn. You want to post pictures of the conference. You want to start a blog about the experience. If you use it right, it can be incredibly meaningful. The AMA in total can be an incredibly robust job source.” 

The Washington College AMA Chapter is generously supported by the Warehime Fund for Student Excellence in Business, the Student Government Association, and other sources, including prize money, fundraising, sponsors, and the Center for Career Development.  

 

Students in the 2025 AMA Washington College Top Small Chapter  

Patrick Beene ’25, president 
Bianca Gallegos ’27, vice president 
Ashley Swan ’27, director of social & community impact 
Natalie Martinaltis ’25 
Lucy Morris ’25 
Sam Steptoe ’25 
Felipe Tassara ’25 
Giselle Kleinbussink ’26 
Celia Long ’26 
Maddie Maguire ’26 
Emily Marson ’26 
Kendal Thomson ’26 
Jaden Dean ’27 
Jordyn Grove ’27 
Kenneth Jackson-Keifer ’27 
Ketch Kinsey ’27
Alan Osorio-Bravo ’27
Martise Whitefeild ’27