Featured photo: Marketing instructor Kathryn Gould on the Henderson County Campus. (Photo by Ben Rickert, Marketing and Communications Dept.)
When marketing and small business professional Kathryn Gould decided to pivot her career to teaching in higher education, she knew Blue Ridge Community College was the gold standard.
“When you look at the community college system which is so robust and so diverse with 58 colleges across North Carolina, they can each be unique to their region or area – serving the diverse needs of each prospective footprint. Blue Ridge has taken that up a notch and is a pioneer of innovation and community development. We’re a go-to resource in Western North Carolina,” Gould said.
More than that, Gould knew Blue Ridge’s focus on applying knowledge matched her approach to marketing and small business.
“Students aren’t just learning what is in the textbook. Both in and out of the classroom, students are learning the concepts and basics of marketing, but are also encouraged to apply what they learn in a relevant manner to real world scenarios,” Gould said. “In doing that, we’re pushing them to take their own next step.”
Empowering students to discover their own passions and goals is one of Gould’s favorite aspects of the business programs portfolio.
“We work collaboratively as Business Administration instructors so that some courses overlap between programs. This exposes students to the full picture of what the business world looks like,” Gould said. “Within the business programs portfolio, students have the flexibility to get a basic understanding of business, and then move forward as their interests lead them.”
To better serve this mission and the students, the Business Administration program recently expanded pathways of study. One such pathway is the ‘Graphic Design and Digital Marketing Certificate’ in which students can focus on either graphic design or digital marketing while studying both. This allows students the opportunity to build foundational skill sets in these closely related fields while crafting the pathway to fit their interests.
“We want to help students navigate what they want to do or a career they would like to pursue in the world of business,” Gould said. “This robust new pathway is a prime opportunity to give students a solid foundation and walk with them as they find what is next.”
Learn more about Blue Ridge Community College’s marketing programs, including the expanded Graphic Design and Digital Marketing Certificate, at www.blueridge.edu/business. Learn about career opportunities at www.blueridge.edu/careers.