Shay Freeman

A graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, Shay Freeman graduated magna cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in English and public relations. Prior to coming to Simon, she worked as a sales and account management consultant at UnitedHealthcare in Plano, TX, where she researched and investigated key business problems through detailed data analysis. Shay says she chose Simon to move her career in a new direction. “I was planning to start my career in brand management and progress to a global marketing role,” she says. “Simon sharpened my analytical and quantitative skill set while also giving me a global framework to address international issues and opportunities.”

At Simon, Shay was doing more than just reading about international markets—she was seeing them firsthand. “I had the opportunity to travel to Israel and work with an Israeli start up company as a first year student,” she says. “That experience helped me diversify my toolkit and give me a competitive advantage.”

Shay says she also gained valuable hands-on experience during her internship with Johnson & Johnson. While working as an associate brand manager summer intern, she helped create a digital strategy to reach millennials and identified market trends increasing customer loyalty in that market.

Simon’s first-year core curriculum helped prepare Shay for a successful internship. “The Simon program fosters intellectual and interpersonal growth,” she says. “It prepared me to work in fast-pace environments and tackle important business issues. It was more rigorous than I anticipated, but it is designed to force even the brightest students out of their comfort zone.”

According to the future brand manager and global marketer, Simon is as challenging as it is supportive. “Simon offered a dynamic and personal environment,” Shay says. “Between the small class sizes and the friendliness of its faculty and students, it was truly a unique experience.