Q1: In two short paragraphs, tell us who you are and what you are good at.
Hello, my name is Halle Nurse a twenty five year old who was born and raised in Virginia Beach, VA. I am a foodie, who enjoys breaking down the barriers of my taste buds with new foods. I enjoy thrift shopping and finding a good bargain, which leads to my addiction of clothes and shoes. I also indulge in DIY projects, particularly those found on Pinterest.
I am a very determined, organized and detailed individual. These three traits have allowed me to excel in my current position as an Event Planner. Being in this particular role, I have the opportunity to combine my passion for creativity and love for planning to make sure all of my clients are pleased in every aspect.
Q2: Tell us how a place you've lived has influenced you.
For two weeks, I went on a mission trip to New Providence, Bahamas. While there, I was deprived of Wi-Fi, A/C and all the other luxuries I had in the U.S., which was a struggle. Each day we visited orphanages, schools and completed hands on projects. Interacting with the locals, I saw they were without proper medical care; hot meals and much more. Seeing their living conditions made me start to reevaluate my life, it made more appreciative.
I was influenced to be more helpful and available to assist within my community once I returned. Now, I make sure at least once a month I am doing some type of community service act in the Richmond area. I donate clothes to shelters; prepare meals for the homeless and much more. I will forever hold this experience in New Providence close to my heart and happy for those who I was able to help during my time.
Q3: What led you to the Brandcenter?
Summer of 2016 is when I had the urge to go back to school for my Masters Degree, but the decision was not easy. I found myself confused on what I wanted to study and what school I should attend. After doing some intense research I did not find any other program that compared to the Brandcenter. I went to an information session and enjoyed getting to see the building and interacting with the current students. One thing that grabbed my attention was when Professor Peter Coughter came up and spoke some words of encouragement to us; he said in order to be part of the Brandcenter experience “we needed to have faith in ourselves.” After hearing that I was sold, because I am a strong believer in one should have faith over fear!
Q4: Tell us about a personal failure. Describe what happened and what you did about it. Distill the story into one paragraph.
Dear Halle,
I have received your VCU Brandcenter Creative Brand Management application…I am sorry to tell you we are not going to offer you a spot in the incoming class.
May 30, 2017 I received this email and I felt as if all of my hard work, dedication and sleepless nights were for nothing. I cried for weeks, thinking I was done with pursuing graduate school. As time moved on, I came to the realization that it just was not my time. I wanted to research the industry deeper and do some soul searching before moving forward. In preparation for round two of the Brandcenter application, I made sure I was in a competitive mindset because this year I wanted to secure my spot more than ever!
Q5: In one short paragraph convince the person reading your application that you have spent a respectful amount of time researching the track you are applying to and the work people in that track do when they graduate.
Life of a Creative Brand Manager is not a simple path; they must solve problems with combining their creative and analytical mind. One might say, a CBM is known for working only on the agency side, but their career opportunities are endless. A CBM graduate may become an entrepreneur, an innovative strategist or even an account manager. With innovation and originality CBMs are tasked with engaging the customer with the brand, being the connecting piece to the rest of the puzzle.