By Rhea Jethi, Junior, Marketing, Digital & Social Media Applications, Psychology
Diversity is more than being International
As uncertainty has surrounded us due to the pandemic, most students are struggling with managing online classes, finding internships, and constantly being limited in achieving their dreams by externalities. Di An, an International Marketing alumna living in China and running her own business, serves as a breath of fresh air for those us busy worrying about our futures. She freed herself from conventional expectations and career paths and made her own way. Di encourages students to embrace diversity in the truest sense – by being open to new possibilities. When I asked her what diversity personally means to her, she explained
“Diversity is much more than just being culturally or nationally diverse. It is a little more layered and complex than just being from some other part of the world. Diversity is built when one immerses themselves in a sea of various experiences – academic or otherwise – and comes out to feel, think, and perceive the world through a different lens.”
While we all know that unique experiences are a part of incorporating diversity, Di takes us deeper to explore what being diverse really means – to be you, unabashedly, unapologetically, and fearlessly!
As a marketing student, Di explored various facets within the industry, including advertising, brand management, retail, and arts management. She wanted to challenge her perceptions and understanding of the world by immersing herself in courses from different schools on the IUB campus. While her passion for marketing was intense, it was not until she took coursework in consumer behavior and brand management that she found her calling. Di advises marketing students to go beyond the “How can I graduate?” phase and really use their freedom to explore all kinds of interests and get creative in telling their stories. She believes “one can only be truly diverse by adopting new perspectives and being open to new experiences – and those experiences are nothing but exploring one’s deepest interests and being oneself.”
Incorporating Diversity as a Young Entrepreneur in China
After graduating from IUB, Di went on to explore one of her keenest interests – wine. She spent a year studying wine management in France, learning the intricacies of the wine business. Due to the pandemic, she returned to China, but that did not diminish her curiosity for managing a business. In fact, it led her to launch her own whole foods business, Tongruntongda, which currently specializes in trading sausages. Di can’t wait to add wine to the product line. Being a young entrepreneur and having a business with employees who are older than her, Di shares some techniques to promote diversity within the workspace.
She advocates for active listening and being empathetic and patient when facing different perspectives. She shared, “While many older employees are experts in the traditional ways of doing business, I come with a fresh perspective and am not afraid to take risks. This difference of opinion is of the utmost importance in understanding diversity in the workplace.” She advises students to be respectful to their colleagues and seniors and to appreciate the diverse perspectives of your team.
Impact of Inclusion within Marketing
Looking back on her time at university, Di emphasizes the importance of speaking up and sharing your unique and intriguing stories, perspectives and questions in class. As an international student, she goes on to say that sometimes looking for people from your own country, city and even friend circle might feel like the most natural thing for you to do. However, one must practice diversity by having associations and affiliations with various peers and professors who do not come from the same background.
Di advises students to look at marketing and studying at IU as a huge umbrella, with many opportunities to explore a variety of majors, career paths, and experiences. She reminisces about her time at Kelley and says that today she understands that “there are no wrong answers in marketing, just diverse ways of thinking and creative ways of doing.”
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