Student Spotlight: Graduating Seniors Share Professional Experience Working for Trellis

During the Spring 2021 semester, the Trellis Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) program employed 15 student workers−all who played an integral role in the ideation and implementation of Trellis. Among these student workers are some outstanding seniors whose time with Trellis and the University of Arizona is coming to a bittersweet end. Though the program is sad to see them go, they have a bright future and the University wouldn’t be where it is today without their insight and contributions.

Meet Jaclyn Kelly, Senior Marketing Assistant

Jaclyn is the Senior Marketing Assistant for Trellis CRM and is graduating with a Marketing Major and Global Business Minor from the Eller College of Management. She is also the Marketing Director at KAMP Student Radio and hosts her weekly radio show the Polaroid Hour on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. Jacyln stated that her time at the University of Arizona has been an amazing experience.

Question: What is the most valuable thing you learned working with Trellis?

Jaclyn Kelly: The most valuable thing I have learned is to be curious, even when you don’t know what to be curious about.

Ask questions and then ask them again, because understanding and learning an entirely new system and way of working is difficult and challenging. This curiosity and strategic way of planning has opened my eyes to how asking the right questions can add so much to a conversation. I am grateful I was able to work on a team that allowed me to be open,express myself, and grow my curiosity of learning in a working environment. I believe the lesson I have learned from my team and manager Krista Quayle, have prepared me to be a contributing member to my first full-time employment company, and I am really looking forward to using my knowledge gained moving forward. My experience at Trellis has been transformational, and I am looking forward to seeing how the program helps and develops the University moving forward.

After graduation, Jaclyn will be working as a Client Success Specialist at Paradox in Scottsdale, Arizona. Some of her achievements include receiving the Eller Scholar of the Year Award, the Arizona Student Media Leadership and Professionalism in Broadcast Journalism Award, as well as being a Top 50 Collegiate Women in Eller for 2019 and 2020.

Meet Cyrus Madrone, Salesforce Marketing Cloud Administration Assistant

Cyrus is a senior from the Eller College of Management. He will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management in May 2021. One of Cyrus’ main responsibilities was onboarding business units across the University into Trellis Marketing Cloud. Through his work, Cyrus configured Salesforce & Salesforce Marketing Cloud data, user permissions, integration, and much more. The most valuable thing Cyrus has learned from his time with Trellis is the importance of collaboration and the impact that a CRM strategy can have on single business units and the University of Arizona as a whole. As a soon-to-be graduate, Cyrus was particularly excited to have the opportunity to onboard his into Salesforce and Marketing Cloud.

Post-graduation, Cyrus is joining Oracle NetSuite as an Associate Consultant in Austin, Texas. Cyrus’ favorite place is Rome, Italy where he spent two months studying abroad from January to February 2020, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. He is eager to travel once the world is back to normal.

Meet David Zhong, Salesforce Administrative Assistant

David Zhong is also graduating from the Eller College of Management, majoring in Management Information Systems (MIS).

Question: How has your work with Trellis prepared you for the future?

David Zhong: My work as a Salesforce Administrative Assistant prepared me with real work experience in the technical field. I not only gained hands-on experience working with Salesforce, which is one of the most widely used CRM platforms in the world, but also gained familiarity with the software development lifecycle (SDLC), especially the agile methodology.

By participating in different agile ceremonies, I was able to witness and learn how the things I learned in class could be implemented to make sure the project runs smoothly. In addition, my team and my direct supervisor John Gestautas were very supportive and willing to coach us, even while working remotely. It has been a pleasure to work here and learn from all of them.

After college, he would like to start a career in software development. David is also bilingual in 2 major world languages and shooting for a third.

Meet Marisol Ortiz, Business Analyst/IT Generalist

Marisol Ortiz was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. She's studying Management Information Systems and Operations & Supply Chain Management at the Eller College of Management. The most valuable thing she learned working with Trellis is the importance of teamwork. Marisol said Trellis helped her prepare for the workforce by teaching her agile methodologies. Marisol said, “More and more companies are adopting an agile production environment, which promotes flexibility and experimentation. It's great that it encourages a different way of producing things, especially if it works. It helped me learn how to work effectively within a team environment.”

After graduation, Marisol plans on continuing to learn all things IT and being in a Technology Rotation Program, which will help her train to be a technology specialist with two years of hands-on experience within a technology company. Marisol’s guilty pleasures are reading a good book and troubleshooting issues (although it tests her patience).

Also graduating this semester is Estefania Munguia, who works as a Research Assistant for the Data Strategy and Quality Team. She is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.

Congratulations to the graduating seniors from the Trellis CRM Student Team! We wish you well on your next endeavors.