From ground zero to momentum

Written by Aimen Khan, CMU's AMA chapter president

When I stepped into the role of president of the American Marketing Association at Central Michigan University in fall 2025, I knew it would not be easy. Building something from the ground up is very different from joining an already established organization. There is no structure to inherit, no system to plug into and no guaranteed audience. Despite that, I chose to take on the challenge.

What I did not anticipate was just how real that challenge would feel in the early days.

I was appointed president in mid-August 2025 with no executive board in place. For nearly two and a half months, I operated as the entire executive board, managing planning, outreach, logistics and recruitment on my own.

One of the biggest hurdles was visibility. Conducting interviews for leadership positions was difficult when students did not even know AMA existed on campus. To solve that, we focused on creating impact first.

The kickoff that changed everything

Our first major step was hosting AMA’s kickoff event. We brought in three speakers:

• Clay Kosnik, project manager at Huge and CMU alumnus
• Casey Croad, owner of Ignite Donuts
• Neil MacKinnon, CMU President 

Having President MacKinnon support and speak at our event gave AMA immediate credibility and visibility across campus. That moment was pivotal.

For our initial meetings, our advisor Jeff Hoyle helped ensure attendance by inviting students from his marketing classes. This gave us a starting audience, and from there, momentum began to build.

Soon after, we began receiving applications for executive board roles. Together with Professor Jeff Hoyle, we conducted interviews, ensuring that strong applications translated into real commitment and capability. By the end of October 2025, AMA had a fully formed executive board of six members.

Building momentum in fall 2025

With a team in place, we shifted focus toward engagement and visibility. We participated in the fall 2025 Homecoming Parade with an AMA banner and approximately 100 t-shirts. The response exceeded expectations, with all shirts distributed within 15 minutes. That level of energy from the campus community reinforced that AMA was gaining traction.

Our second major event featured La-Z-Boy, offering students insight into day-to-day roles in marketing. This event also marked our first collaboration with Alpha Kappa Psi. Most importantly, two CMU students secured internships through this event, making it a defining success for AMA.

We closed the semester with a holiday celebration that combined a movie night, popcorn and a creative activity. Students tackled real-world corporate marketing scandals and proposed strategic solutions.

By the end of fall 2025, AMA had grown to 40 registered members.

Strengthening engagement in spring 2026

Spring 2026 focused on sustaining and growing engagement. We began with a general member meeting featuring trivia and incentives, including Target gift cards for top performers. These elements helped maintain consistent attendance and enthusiasm.

We further expanded through our Mainstage participation, where eight new members signed up and joined AMA. As we evaluated our content strategy, we recognized that short-form video, particularly reels, drives stronger engagement than static posts. To align with this shift, we introduced a new executive board role, vice president of TikTok, focused on strengthening our presence through more dynamic and engaging content.

One of our most engaging events was a “Game Night with a DJ,” combining networking with a relaxed and fun atmosphere. We also hosted a speaker session titled “The Future of Marketing and AI” with John Hill, where students explored practical applications of AI, including building a website within minutes. It was both insightful and hands-on.

Our final general member meeting centered on a spring rebranding challenge, offering a collaborative and creative space for members.

Beyond events, we worked on building infrastructure:

• An AMA Blackboard shell for communication
• A merchandise store for fundraising
• Custom AMA t-shirts, including one presented to President MacKinnon as a token of appreciation

Closing with opportunity and recognition

We concluded the semester with our final speaker event, “Careers in Digital Marketing with Brkthru,” where internship opportunities were extended to students, including international students. This inclusivity was particularly meaningful.

As the semester came to a close, AMA was invited to the Student & Organization Recognition (SOAR) Awards. It was a proud moment to see the organization recognized at the university level.

A special congratulations to Sarah Firchau, our vice president and incoming president, for receiving the Outstanding Executive Board Member Award. It was incredibly rewarding to see leadership within AMA acknowledged and celebrated.

A personal reflection

Looking back, what started as an idea with no structure has grown into a recognized and active organization on campus. The journey required persistence, adaptability and belief in something that did not yet exist. The recognition AMA received this year is not just an achievement, but validation of the effort put in by every member of the team.

I want to thank every executive board member who joined during those early stages and contributed to building AMA into what it is today. Your commitment turned an idea into a community.

A sincere thank you to Professor Jeff Hoyle for his guidance, support and belief in this vision from the very beginning.

And to Sarah Firchau and the incoming executive board, you are stepping into something with strong foundations and real momentum.

One final thought

You are building something meaningful. Protect it, grow it and do not let it fade. What we created together has the potential to become a lasting legacy.

I look forward to returning one day and seeing how far AMA has come.

Best of luck to the future of AMA at CMU.