Today, we are spotlighting Annabella Saccaro a junior from West Palm Beach, Florida majoring in HOD with minors in Business and Communication Studies. On campus she is a part of marketing research in conjunction with Professor Leonora Williamson, Vanderbilt Mock Trial, and is a former TA for Negotiations with Professor Gary McClure. Her favorite class is Corporate Social Responsibility with Professor Leonora Williamson.

“Pursuing a business minor has opened doors I never could have imagined for myself when I first started as a freshman. Not only have I met incredible and accomplished professors and peers through my classes, but I’ve also gained invaluable hands-on experiences. For example, my consulting work with Bridgestone Americas last semester in Professor Williamson's Corporate Social Responsibility course provided me with a deep understanding of global sustainability marketing strategies. This perspective was instrumental in securing my current role as a Client Experience Transformation and Marketing intern at BlackRock in New York City for my HOD Capstone this Fall.

Additionally, the professors in this program are deeply invested in their students' success, teaching valuable soft skills that have directly contributed to many of the opportunities I have today. I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to this minor and the people that make it so transformative.

On my first day of class as a freshman, I got off the waitlist for Professor McClure’s Negotiation course. What I didn’t know before I sat down was that I was the only freshman in a class of majorly seniors. Although I initially felt intimidated, working alongside upperclassmen and being held to a higher standard by Professor McClure instilled in me a new sense of confidence in not only the way that I communicated, but the way I carried myself my entire first semester freshman year. This class taught me how to effectively communicate with individuals I once found daunting, transforming my college experience inside and outside the classroom. This class ended up being my favorite class I took my entire freshman year. In fact I loved it so much that I TA’d for it my Sophomore spring semester.”