Amanda Doane is beginning her 4th year at UGA, studying Advertising through Grady College. In addition to this, Amanda is pursuing a degree in Spanish and had the opportunity to study aboard with UGA in Valencia, Spain this summer. Originally from Peachtree Corners, Amanda is a Georgia Native and loves living in Athens for all the food, fashion, and music it has to offer. Her favorite thing about UGA is the number of opportunities it has provided her both professionally and personally.
Why Advertising?
From a young age, Amanda also felt connected to all things creative. Whether it was theater, writing, music, or art, creativity has always been at the forefront of Amanda’s priorities and she knew creativity had to be a key part of the career path she chose. Her favorite course in high school was creative writing, which inspired her to initially declare as a Journalism major at UGA. However, through the world of Grady college, she quickly realized her love for design and saw how advertising perfectly combined writing, design, and strategy into one. Classes like Digital Media Campaigns and Brand Storytelling have helped Amanda harness her skills and grow her passion for the AdPR industry.
Campus/Community/ Professional Involvement:
Outside of her role with the AdPR department, Amanda is involved in a number of clubs and organizations, like AdClub, Shop with a Bulldog, and Pi Beta Phi. Last year, Amanda had the opportunity to put her creative skills to use in her role as an Art Director at Talking Dog Agency. She is also an active member of YoungLife.
Amanda had the chance to attend Summer at the Circus, an 8-week creative marketing Bootcamp in summer 2021. Through this experience, she was able to grow her creative thinking skills and develop stellar work for her personal portfolio. In addition to her creative design work, Amanda also completed a Blog Writing Internship with Weddings in Athens, harnessing her creative writing skills.
Favorite Advertising Campaign:
Geico’s rhetorical questions campaign where they sought to answer questions like “Is the pen mightier than the sword?” or “Does a former drill sergeant make a good therapist?” is by far Amanda’s favorite advertising campaign. Not only does she love the humor and light-hearted feelings involved in this campaign, but she also relates a large amount of nostalgia to these commercials
“I remember watching these commercials over and over with my dad and quoting them on the daily because we loved them so much.”
Piece of advice for incoming Grady Students:
One thing Amanda thinks all Grady students should do is take the time to get to know their professors as well as the other students in their Grady classes. She believes the AdPR department has some of the best faculty in the world, and as a Grady student, you have an amazing opportunity to learn from and form relationships with professors who have a passion for and understand the industry.
Another aspect about Grady that Amanda loves is the way that students move with a cohort. Seeing familiar faces in her classes and getting to know her professors this way made for a greater learning experience, but also makes school all the more fun. The AdPR department feels like a familiar around campus to Amanda and she knows she’ll stay connected to her peers and professors long after graduation.
“The people you surround yourself with can become lifelong connections to have with you as you venture out into the industry”
Looking Forward:
Amanda is looking forward to gaining more experience and knowledge in the AdPR department and enjoying my last year her a student in the Classic City! Go Dawgs!
