Alyssa Miller Turns Under Armour Internship Into Job

2014 Jan 24

Ashland University senior, Alyssa Miller, of Nashport, OH, was recently offered a job at Under Armour headquarters in Baltimore, Md., following her time as a summer intern with the same company.

Miller is the daughter of Douglas and Lynda Miller of Nashport. She is a 2010 graduate of Tri-Valley High School.

During the summer of 2013, Miller, who is majoring in marketing at Ashland University, served 11 weeks as the retail merchandising intern at Under Armour, after being selected as one of 50 total interns out of 4,000 applicants.

"In the beginning of March 2013 I had a round of two phone interviews and by the end of March I had a Skype "panel" interview, which was my final interview," Miller said. "My past two internship experiences at The Buckle and Fiserv the previous summers and the leadership roles that I hold on campus gave me a competitive edge above other applicants."

During her time interning, Miller became a crucial part of the team that would later open a brand house store in Washington, D.C.

"Our brand house stores carry graphic design shirts that are localized to the geographic area and consumer market that shops our brand," stated Miller. "I traveled approximately twice a week to the D.C., Maryland and Virginia areas and thoroughly researched consumer trends, segmentation and targeting. I gathered store-specific insights through consumer observation and interaction. By the end of my 11-weeks I proposed a years' worth of graphic design ideas to the design team, which allowed the designers to understand what graphics our consumers want to see on our product in the D.C. Metro area."

Miller was excited to learn that the store has recently opened, and that her suggestions will be printed on the first round of graphic shirts.

Miller said the internship provided her with many opportunities, including serving in support roles for the senior merchants, being specifically focused on accessories and localized product, being in attendance at professional sporting events, visiting Sagamore Farms, being part of a city-wide scavenger hunt to familiarize themselves with the Baltimore Area, and attending a speaker series with managers from many different departments of the company.

Miller praises her time and training at AU for being very beneficial to her getting this opportunity.

"My AU education has provided me with the tools needed to prepare me for a corporate environment," Miller said. "From specialty topics classes to job fairs and employer meet and greets, I gained experience working with professionals before I ever took on a corporate position. COBE classes demonstrated real-world examples of problems that can arise in a work place and I felt confident that I had the skills needed to solve these issues and make an immediate impact as an intern."

Miller will graduate in May, and beginning in July, she will take on the role of Under Armour's merchandising coordinator. "This will carry over some of the same duties as an accessories support role, but will also have a focus on the buying aspect of merchandising and trend analytics," she said.

"I couldn't have asked for a better summer experience working for a brand that I am passionate about," Miller said. "UA interns are provided with a lot of opportunity and responsibility from day one and the company culture really teaches their employees how to embrace the brand you work for - do everything at the highest level. I formed lifelong relationships with the other interns and employees and I am excited to get back to Baltimore to start making an impact. I am truly grateful for this opportunity."

Miller also is very active on the AU campus, where her leadership roles include a member of Omicron Delta Kappa; a member of Delta Mu Delta; captain on the women's basketball team, which was the 2013 national Division II champions; and president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. Ashland University, which has been ranked in the top 200 colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report's National Universities category, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.