Sterling Miller came to Vanderbilt as an undergraduate, he says, “because I wanted to pursue music in an environment that expanded musically and had a lot of lessons and resources to offer.” Once in school, his interest in psychology led him to pursue a major in Human and Organizational Development. And that led him, as he neared graduation, to explore a budding interest in marketing.

“What intrigues me the most,” says the Florida native, “is the diversity and psychology behind people and their choices. It felt very natural to step into a master’s program in marketing.”

Once Sterling met with the admissions staff at Owen, his choice was cemented. It helped that he could remain at Vanderbilt. “Once you experience this place and meet people,” he says, “you come to love it. It really is a great place to be.”

Starting with Mod Zero—a series of orientation events in which students get to know each other—Sterling experienced a strong sense of community, establishing friendships that he believes will continue for the rest of his career.

He describes his professors as “absolutely fantastic.” With them, he says, “every class is like a masterclass where you get deep into the weeds and pull back everything you need, whether it’s quantitative methods, price strategy, or brand management. Everything is covered amazingly.”

He credits both the professors and his cohorts with helping him settle on and pursue a career path in data analytics. “At first,” he says, “I was hesitant because coding seems like such a high barrier to entry. Getting advice and support from everyone was especially important for me to dig into that.” To develop deeper skills and amplify his understanding, Sterling even took part in what he describes as “a data analytics boot camp.”

As he completed the MMark program, he was preparing to combine his interests in music, psychology, and data as an analyst in the entertainment industry. “The program has given me such a solid foundation,” he says. “It has given me a fantastic platform for understanding the landscape and how markets work.”

Fun Fact: Sterling is a musician who has evolved from orchestral/concert percussion to a hip-hop/soul audio engineer, producer, and arranger.

The experience has given me a fantastic platform for understanding how markets work.