Q +A: Marye Stuart Greer
By: Lexi Elmore
Aspiring entrepreneur Marye Stuart Greer found her calling in the marketing world, and she plans to take the industry by storm.
With success at the forefront of her aspirations and a lust for competition, Greer knows she has what it takes to make her mark in the field.
The 19-year-old is a Houston, Texas native who feels she’s found her little piece of home here in Athens, Georgia. She is currently a sophomore studying in Grady College of Journalism, here at The University of Georgia. She is just getting started towards her degree in public relations, and she knows it is the perfect fit for her future. Here she hopes to gather all the necessary skills to become her own mogul.
In high school, Greer had the opportunity to take business and finance classes, which is unique to have available for most schools. Although she found it was not a field that interests her, “that basically told me I did not want to do business at all in college,” she said.
Greer spent the past few summers interning for Norton Creative, an advertising agency. Having worked there for multiple years, she has had the opportunity to work on both the marketing and accounting sides. Working hands on with marketing, Greer knew she had a passion for that field of work, which led her here to Grady.
Though she herself is not a first-generation college student, she is the eldest daughter to go since her little sister is back at home. As the oldest she has learned how to manage her own, “I was like the trial run, but I think it’s made me more independent,” she said. Greer knows she is a role model for her younger sister Meredith and hopes to be a great example for her to follow.
While going to college 13 hours away from home can be hard, she chose to get involved with Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority here at UGA. Within her sorority, Greer has earned her place on Chapter Council where she gets practice with public relations. After college, she hopes to take her skills and open her own company and be her own boss.
Interview:
Lexi:
So, what made you want to study at UGA?
Marye:
I kind of wanted to get out of Texas, and I visited UGA and it was really similar to Texas without being in Texas. Like the campus, but more the feel and the people that go here and like the environment and good academics. I got in so I was like, let’s go.
Lexi:
Growing up, did you always want to do work with PR? If not, when did you aspire to?
Marye:
In high school I was a part of the Academy of Finance. Which basically just means that I took accounting and business classes all throughout high school. Which is kind of unique for my high school. That basically just told me I did not want to do business at all in college. I hated it and I’m glad that I did it so I didn’t do Terry, so I just kind of knew I wanted to do Grady and then like I just tried the PR program.
Lexi:
So you learned how to do your taxes and stuff?
Marye:
Yeah, not really like taxes. I mean like I probably should have, I kind of messed around in those classes but like we took like accounting 1 accounting 2 business information systems, money management, and a few others.
Lexi:
Have you done any like internships or anything?
Marye:
Yes, I’ve done like I’ve worked for this company in Houston like the past few summers called Norton creative and they’re like an advertising agency for restaurants. And so I’ve done like one summer I did like their social media. I was on the social media teams like I worked with like responding to clients like on the phone and like posting, writing copy. Then another summer I was on the accounts team which was so boring. All I did was like, research, and type my research into Excel spreadsheets, so you definitely find like your, your spot. I just want to do something that doesn’t involve restaurants because it’s like this sounds stupid but it’s really hard to be staring at food all day.
Lexi:
Okay, so I saw you have a little sister. Has being a big sister affected your life growing up?
Marye:
Yeah I guess so, I haven’t really thought about that. Just kind of having someone that you know is always looking up to you is, kind of, something to think about like being a role model. I’ve definitely learned a lot from being the big sister, or not having older siblings because for my parents, I was like the trial run you know, But I think it’s made me like more independent.
Lexi:
How do you feel that Sorority Life has impacted you in college?
Marye:
I really like it. It’s like I had instant friends, and I don’t, I don’t know especially coming from out of state, it was just like an instant group of friends for me and then like, it’s something like I really got involved with.
I’m on the chapter Council for my sorority too so I get to have like a little like a say and what we do and like everything I’m the event planner which has to do with PR so I get to like practice that.
Lexi:
Where do you hope to see yourself in 10 years?
Marye:
I really, I want to have my own company. I really want to be my own boss. So hopefully by that point like I’ll work my way up through like the jobs that I need to do and then like have my own company, maybe a family. I want to live in New York a little bit like after college, just like get that real (marketing) experience.
