By Nina A Padilla
Originally from Los Angeles, Gabriela Nieraeth describes herself as a “fish out of water” after starting college at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Seeking a fresh environment and new experiences, she decided to trade the California coast for Texas, and the move ended up shaping her in ways she didn’t expect.
Gabriela began her college journey as a communications major but added marketing during the spring semester of her freshman year. She was fascinated by the business principles of marketing, but what really hooked her was the brand storytelling and psychology of product placement.
“Marketing is everywhere,” says Gabriela, “and it’s not just the obvious huge billboard you see on the highway.” She credits Dr. G, one of her professors at Trinity, for deepening her interest in marketing and brand storytelling and has enjoyed discovering how marketing is present in everyday life.
As a communications student, Gabriela has found her comfort zone as a radio host for Trinity’s nonprofit jazz and indie radio station, KRTU. She calls it one of the coolest jobs she’s ever had and is grateful for the mentorship from the staff and the opportunity to find her voice. During her time at the radio station, Gabriela has helped run marketing campaigns for KRTU Fest, the station’s annual concert, and most recently launched a brand new radio show focused on alternative and country music.
For this project, she built the format, logos, and marketing guide from the ground up and landed interviews with some of her favorite artists to feature on the show.
The radio station was a great way to introduce Gabriela to new people, places, and experiences, but she also credits her membership with the American Marketing Association of San Antonio as another avenue of introducing her to the career possibilities in the marketing industry. During her sophomore spring semester, Gabriela attended the International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans with a small group of friends from the AMA Trinity chapter and was blown away by the experience of hearing from so many industry professionals. She has found that talking about her involvement with AMA San Antonio has also helped her foster new connections with other professionals in the industry who have been, or who are currently, members of the organization.
“I think one of the most useful things, especially as a young student, is how well connected it gets you to professionals, especially within San Antonio,” Gabriela states. This year, Gabriela also joins AMA San Antonio as one of our board members to assist with collegiate relations.
Looking ahead, Gabriela is excited about her future and plans to move back to California to be closer to family after she graduates this coming May. With a love for service and helping others, Gabriela hopes to pursue a career in the nonprofit space or in public media broadcasting. Her plans for graduate school are on hold for now, as she remains focused on getting out into the working world and figuring out her next steps.
AMA San Antonio is proud to feature Gabriela as this month’s Member Spotlight, and we are excited to watch where her story goes next.