Shelby Zink
March 3, 2020
Shelby Zink (2019)
Shelby is 28 years old and is getting married next summer. She met her fiancé, Benton, at Express Scripts five years ago and they have been together ever since. They met when they were both working in the Proposals department. Currently, Shelby is an Account Manager at Express Scripts and loves her job. She is also pursuing an MBA at UMSL and planning a wedding, so life is a bit stressful for her at the moment. She and Benton have a schnoodle (half Schnauzer, half poodle) named Ellie May and she is the other love of her life.
What year did you graduate and what was your concentration?
I graduated in 2014 and majored in Public Communication and minored in Spanish.
What extra-/co-curricular activities did you do?
Shelby (right) and a couple of her ΣΣΣ sisters (2013).
I was a member of the Tri-Sigma sorority.
Did you go to grad school? If so, where? Was it immediately after you left Truman or did you wait? Why?
I am currently pursuing an MBA at the University of Missouri, St. Louis (UMSL). I waited about 4 years to go back to school because I wanted to start my career first and hoped to find a company that would pay for my tuition to go back to school.
What was your first job after graduation?
My first job after graduation was Proposal Writer at Express Scripts.
What work do you do/What are you doing now?
I am now an Account Manager with Express Scripts.
How has your Liberal Arts/COMM education helped you?
My liberal arts/COMM education helped me to understand how to manage my time, think critically and ethically in my role at the company. My education also developed my writing skills which are essential in my current role as I communicate with clients primarily via email.
Shelby and Benton in Japan getting engaged (2019).
Which class did you dislike at the time you took it, but now you’re grateful you took it?
Experimental Methods is a class I remember not particularly enjoying at the time, but looking back it taught me how to work in a group and learn to do what is necessary to get the job (it was a large paper/group experiment at the time) done.
Why is Truman a good place for a student to study?
Truman allowed my creative brain to flourish through writing and cultural opportunities. Truman values education and pushes a student to their maximum potential. It can be difficult at times, but you will realize that you are better off for that extra nudge to produce quality work because that will show in your career performance. Doing your best will just be second nature to you since that has been instilled in you since you started at the university.
Shelby and Ellie May having fun at the park (2018).
What was your greatest accomplishment at Truman?
My greatest accomplishment at Truman was the improvement in my writing. I am so proud of some of the papers I wrote during my time there. I even still look at them from time to time to admire the skills that Truman helped me to develop.
I am also proud of the person Truman helped me to become. I learned how to navigate the world a little bit more away from my family and comfort zones. Through Truman I studied abroad in Costa Rica for a summer and completed an internship in Washington, D.C. These were some of the best times of my life because I met so many different people that helped to shape my worldview today. If it weren’t for these experiences, I truly believe I would not be the person I am now or share the same values.
What would you say a COMM student should absolutely do while at Truman?
You should absolutely either study abroad or study with a program such as the Washington Center to get out of your comfort zone and expand your worldviews. You will also see how other cultures in other countries or U.S. cities live/work and will take pieces of that with you to adopt.
What advice would you give someone who wants to go into the same line of work as you?
Definitely make sure you have an internship on your resume. Also, it is never too early to start networking and building professional connections in companies that you would like to pursue once you graduate.
What do you miss most about campus/Kirksville?
I miss the Kirksville staples like La Pachanga, the square, Thousand Hills, and I miss Truman’s beautiful library.
Shelby (left) and friends working with Special Olympics while at Truman (2012).
What tag line would you create for the COMM department at Truman?
“Come study COMM at Truman, where you will learn to expand your horizons.”
If you could come back to Truman and teach a class for a semester, what would be its title and what would it be about?
How to communicate via email to clients and internal business partners effectively.
Shelby & Benton (2020).
What did we not ask that you think is important for people to know?
I think it is important to know what kind of working style you have when you are seeking a career. For me, I learned that I do better having several small tasks a day to complete which is what is expected of me in my current role, as opposed to working on one big looming project for 2 weeks which may work better for others. Knowing your work style will help you narrow down which position you could see yourself in in a corporation.
If you would like to learn more of Shelby’s story, you can follow her on LinkedIn.