#SDSUGrad: Finnisha Eastman

Over the past year, the San Diego State University community has shown its true resilience. Graduates from the Class of 2021 are no exception. During this unprecedented time in human history, the university has prioritized providing students with important services like virtual academic support, emergency financial assistance and other support services. In particular, SDSU Career Services continues to offer resources for students, including the online career platform Handshake and expanded virtual programming and advising.

In this series, we highlight graduates as they prepare to embark on the next chapter of their lives, including those who have secured jobs and internships or are moving into advanced studies. 

Name: Finnisha Eastman
Major: Business marketing with an emphasis in integrated marketing communications
Hometown: San Diego, CA

Where will you be interning after graduation, and what will your responsibilities be? Can you describe a little bit about yourself and what led you to pursue an internship with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital?
Following graduation, I will be interning with American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC)/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. I will be working as a multicultural marketing and business development intern. In this role, I will be responsible for assisting in the strategic support, development, expansion, and implementation of ALSAC’s multicultural marketing, fundraising, and awareness efforts pertaining to the African-American culture. I will also be conducting research, assisting in focus groups, and collecting data that will develop strategic marketing tactics to raise awareness amongst niche markets. 

My desire to pursue the world of business healthcare proved innate since the objective of this field aligns with my passions in both my personal and professional life. Growing up, I dedicated myself to helping those around me through student-based education programs, becoming an academic mentor for commuting students, and serving my community through social endeavors. Helping those in need is a value rooted in my character, which made pursuing an internship with St. Jude feel organic. I pursued this internship because of the culture, mission, and children. St. Jude prides itself on being at the forefront of racial equality in the workplace and values diversity amongst its staff. The life-saving mission of the organization and the children were also influential in my decision. ALSAC focuses on the life-saving mission of St. Jude in all of its efforts, and seeing the children of St. Jude always with bright smiles on their faces while they are experiencing some of the greatest challenges is the bravery and fearlessness I hope to emulate one day. 

When did you begin your internship search and what did that process entail?
I began my internship search in the fall of 2019. In the process, I created a resume and cover letter that suited the businesses’ requirements and displayed the skills they were asking for. In June 2020, I received a call from the hiring team that wanted to interview me for the online innovation experience internship. I was excited to hear I was selected to be part of the intern cohort of 12. Following the completion of this internship, I continued interning with St. Jude through the fall of 2020. I knew that after I graduated, I wanted to take some time to gain more knowledge in real-world experience, so I applied again for a marketing internship and interviewed with the team and head of the department and was so happy to hear they wanted to work with me again. 

When did you receive your internship offer and what was your reaction?
I received my internship offer at the end of April, and I was super excited! I couldn't believe I was chosen after three interviews with three different teams. The competition was very fierce this year, but I'm really glad I impressed them. 

What advice do you have for fellow students, regardless of their field, looking to follow a similar path post graduation?
I would say just keep applying and do not stop at all. You're going to apply for so many jobs and so many internships. Some of you will get the courtesy of “we decided to move forward with other candidates” while many of you may not hear anything back, but all it takes is one “your resume is very suitable for the next step in the hiring process” to completely change your life!

What is it that you are most looking forward to as you kick start this next chapter? And how did SDSU prepare you for success not only at the university but after graduation?
I am most looking forward to taking all the knowledge I received from my professors at SDSU and applying it to real-world scenarios and business problems. The Fowler College of Business is an amazing program, and it definitely gives you the opportunity to gain confidence in your skills and abilities. In a lot of classes, you take on assignments that will mirror workplace assignments and I'm so grateful that many professors implemented this in their courses. SDSU has definitely prepared me for the next steps in my career with all the assistance poured into me from the Writing Center, Career Services, and my peers over the past four years.

What experience at SDSU has changed your life the most?
Joining my sorority, the Delta Gamma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., definitely changed my life the most. When I arrived at college, I was a first-generation student trying to figure everything out on my own. I wasn’t aware of the resources I had at my disposal to aid in my academic success. I was committed to balancing working full-time and aimlessly pursuing a degree without knowing what I would use it for. It wasn’t until I surrounded myself with educated Black women that I knew I could have more in life than I thought I was supposed to. When I saw women, who looked like me succeeding in their careers, it spoke life into my future. I am so grateful for all of the service, sisterhood, and connections I made through this organization and fraternity and sorority life on SDSU’s campus.