One of the value-added aspects of being a Marietta College student is the strong connection they have with the alumni base, who are readily willing to share insights into specific professions and extend support when entering the workforce.
Maris Kaiser ’22 recently returned to campus to speak with Joe Bergin’s Principles of Selling class. Kaiser began working in sales for Cintas Corporation shortly after graduating.
“I took Joe’s class when I was a senior and we kept a good relationship through my graduation. I would just inform him on the professional career,” Kaiser says. “I was so honored when he asked me to come in and speak to his students like someone did for me when I was in his class.”
In addition to talking to students about finding a rewarding job as a sales representative, Kaiser provided a space for students to ask her about working in a competitive market.
“I also want them to know that they can use me as a resource in the future when they are entering into their professions,” Kaiser says. “I learned early on how valuable it is to have the types of connections that being a Marietta College graduate comes with, so I’m sharing that with Joe’s class, as well.”
Bergin ’86 worked in sales for 23 years and has been the men’s soccer coach and a faculty member in the Business & Economics Department at Marietta for the past 11 years.
“I want my students to know that you can make a very good living in sales, and Maris can talk to them about the monetary side of things,” Bergin says. “With the liberal arts education they receive at Marietta — especially with the focus on communication — our students can really thrive in sales.”
Bergin earned a B.A. in Journalism from Marietta and worked for the 3M Company as an account executive — with The Home Depot being his largest account.
“I always say that the best class I ever took here was Speech 101,” Bergin says. “It was hard when you’re a freshman, but without it, I could never have gotten in front of this class or in front of my team, or in front of The Home Depot buyers. That’s what the liberal arts did for me.”