Marketing major Amanda Carnagie receives Outstanding Student Award

In her pursuit to live life with passion and enthusiasm, Amanda Carnagie has a capacity for seeking out challenges in the classroom, the university and in global and local communities. A senior co-majoring in marketing and international studies with a Spanish minor, Carnagie brings intelligence and her good nature to each endeavor—whether participating in a student competition or teaching English to high school students in China. Through hard work, Carnagie continues to enhance her status as a leader, and was this year’s recipient of the School of Business Administration’s Outstanding Student Award.

Each year, the School of Business Administration awards approximately $600,000 in private scholarships to business students at its Annual Recognition and Awards Program. Held this year on May 4 at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the ceremony honored students and alumni.

All scholarship recipients are recognized and special awards are given. The Outstanding Student Award is presented to one business student who not only achieved an outstanding academic record, but also showed exceptional student leadership and service to the university during the past academic year.

Given Carnagie’s record at WSU, she was the clear choice for this honor. She developed her leadership skills while serving in a number of leadership roles on campus. As a student ambassador she welcomed incoming freshman to the university. She was a resident advisor for three years while living on campus in Atchison Hall. She served as president of the WSU Student Senate after prior posts as vice president and secretary. She also held the position of vice president of member education for Kappa Delta sorority.

Beyond the classroom, Carnagie traveled to China in 2009 with WSU’s Summer Service Learning Project. She spent 10 days in the city of Wu Xue, teaching English to students in preparation for their college entrance exams.

“I know China is emerging in business and I wanted to broaden my exposure to their culture. I also hoped to make a difference in the students’ lives by helping them with English,” Carnagie said.

“I was received very warmly. The students at Hua Zhong University were so enthusiastic and appreciative and they were amazed that we had traveled so far to help them,” she said.

Locally, she fundraised for Prevent Child Abuse America and participated as a runner in Susan G. Komen’s 2010 Race for the Cure.

Her career aspirations include joining a corporate marketing department to conduct market research, or account work for international accounts. She recently completed an internship at W.B. Doner & Company and is currently a student assistant in WSU’s marketing and communications department.

Carnagie holds a 3.80 grade point average and holds memberships in many organizations including the business school’s honor society, Beta Gamma Sigma.

“Choosing to come to the School of Business Administration at Wayne State University was the best decision,” she said.

“Initially, I thought of attending a private school, but when the university offered me a presidential scholarship and I accepted it, I realized that I had also been given a tremendous amount of opportunities that I don’t believe I would’ve had, had I chosen a different school. Opportunities are everywhere on campus and I couldn’t be happier here.”
 
Watch her acceptance speech from the 2011 Recognition & Awards program below:

 

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