Why I Chose Kellstadt: Chaunyce Dixon (LAS ’13, MBA ’22)

Hundreds of students enroll in the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business each year, so what about Kellstadt attracts them and how is Kellstadt supporting their success? In this Q&A series, we’re inviting students as well as recent alumni to share their perspective on why they chose to study at Kellstadt and why they’re glad they did.

Next up is Double Demon Chaunyce Dixon, who holds a BA in sociology from DePaul and graduated this past June with her MBA from Kellstadt, with a concentration in marketing. Dixon is a career changer, with her eyes set on a career in sports business marketing, which she says is a niche she discovered while studying at Kellstadt.

Why did you choose Kellstadt?

After graduating as an undergrad, I went into sales, but I quickly realized that sales did not interest me. At that time I was unsure of exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew that I wanted to do something in the marketing industry. That’s when I decided to go back to DePaul for my MBA.

What sold me on Kellstadt was the quality hands-on education that I knew I would get. I wanted a hands-on learning experience; I didn’t want to just learn from a textbook and lectures. I’m happy to say that Kellstadt gave me the experience I was looking for.

What did you enjoy most about Kellstadt?

Initially I was unable to experience all that Kellstadt had to offer due to scheduling conflicts that resulted in me not being able to join organizations like I wanted to. But that all changed during lockdown because when everything went remote, it gave me the flexibility and access to join various organizations in the program virtually.

I became the events director for the Kellstadt Marketing Group (KMG) student organization and helped to plan amazing events for students. I was also the marketing assistant for the School of Hospitality Leadership’s career fair. Both of those roles gave me the chance to become more involved and build my skills in creating and executing events.

Another great experience I had was being in the MBA program with my older sister Alexandria. She and I were both completing our graduate degrees at Kellstadt at the same time and graduated together in June. It was great being able to relate to each other’s journeys. Our youngest sister, Madisyn, started her undergraduate journey at DePaul as a transfer freshman last year, so we were able to guide and support her too, which was very special.

What Kellstadt course made the biggest impression on you?

The sports sponsorships course taught by Andy Clark had the biggest impact on me by far. During that class I was introduced to the world of sports and the different facets of the sports business industry, outside of the actual game. I had the opportunity to meet leaders in the industry and have one-on-one chats with them to gain further insights.

Prior to this course I had zero interest or knowledge in sports. I based my favorite sports team on if I liked their uniform. This course changed that because I started to see sports as a business; it is more than individuals playing a game. There is so much that goes into putting on an actual game outside of the players that really caught my interest and made me want to explore more. Since taking this course I’ve learned about sports sponsorships, activations, partnerships and the different brands that have deals with certain leagues or teams.

This class opened my eyes to career possibilities I didn’t know existed. Right now I am fully pursuing a career in sports business marketing and looking for roles specifically in sponsorships, partnerships and activations. I have also been considering becoming a sports and entertainment agent and eventually opening up a sports and entertainment agency.

What would you say to someone who is considering studying at Kellstadt?

There are so many opportunities to network, explore your interests and expand your career horizons when you’re a student at Kellstadt. To be completely honest I was unsure if I wanted to return to DePaul since I already went there as an undergraduate. But the amazing admissions staff in Kellstadt helped me so much and made me aware of a Double Demon scholarship I was eligible for because I was already a DePaul alumna. I decided to go for it, and I’m glad I did.

Read the other spotlights in this series:

Randa Mahmud Ulankiewicz, a student in the Master of Science in Marketing Analysis program, shares how much Kellstadt’s faculty members have impacted her professional career.

Palak Patel, a graduate of the Master of Science in Business Analytics program, shares how she discovered her passion for global supply chain management at Kellstadt.