Fingers on the Pulse of Culture
Published on March 31, 2016, at 2:30 p.m.
by Hannah MacInnis.
As a senior at The University of Alabama, Lidia Juarez is surely making waves in the advertising industry. The Multicultural Advertising Intern Program accepts lucky interns each year, making it one of the most competitive and prestigious internship opportunities available to college students.
After spending two years at Motlow State Community College, Juarez transferred to The University of Alabama. She originally studied human sciences but changed to advertising upon her arrival at UA.
“I’ve known I wanted to do something in communications for a long time; I just didn’t know what,” Juarez said. “I was looking at the Alabama programs and right on the cover of the communications website was a student named Adrienne Gates who had just received the award for most promising minority advertising student.”
After this inspiring experience, Juarez was able to call advertising home. Her Hispanic background has helped to shape her educational experience in a unique way. Coming from a small town in Alabama where there are not many Hispanics, Juarez brings a fresh perspective to many different situations.
Along with her accomplishment in receiving the MAIP internship, Juarez was also one of the American Advertising Federation’s top 50 Most Promising Multicultural Students in the country.
Juarez was nominated for the internship by one of her communication professors, Susan Daria.
“She’s got a number of qualities that make her a standout,” Daria said. “To speak to both of her awards, I just thought that she always puts in extra effort … she embraces advertising as a discipline.”
What is MAIP? The Multicultural Advertising Intern Program offers a unique experience to college students studying advertising. Run by the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the paid intern program combines an array of aspects and skills, including real-world work experience, development and networking.
During her time immersing herself in the industry in New York with the Most Promising Multicultural Students program, Juarez was tasked with creating a memorable tagline to live by on a professional basis.
“Generating ideas as bold and colorful as my lipstick collection” is what she came up with, allowing her to not only become a unique individual in the industry, but also create a lasting memory with the companies she visited.
“I have a voice, and I feel like I should use it,” Juarez said.
The program also offers a high level of professional development to aid students entering the professional world post-graduation, which is a very important tool to have.
The top 50 Most Promising Multicultural Students in the country is an award exclusively for college seniors. Teaching skills similar to MAIP, the award also gives the opportunity for employment.
“She is someone that I feel is a good representative of our program,” Daria said. “I think that this will make her opportunities multiply.”
The opportunities available to Juarez through these honors are numerous, but most importantly, she has been able to network with a diverse pool of individuals who can aid her in the future.
Juarez plans to complete the summer internship with MAIP upon graduation. She eventually hopes to move out West and pursue a career in advertising through account planning.
