From working with CNN International\u2019s Inside Africa series to doing hurricane coverage with Spectrum News, teaching about cultural competency and putting on a conference for EFL teachers in Baku, Azerbaijan, incoming Master of Management, Marketing Analytics (MMA)<\/a> student Ilin Misaras has learned a lot about telling stories and delivering information over the years. Her biggest takeaway? Building bridges is the key to communicating with diverse audiences. As associate director of NC State\u2019s Global Training Initiative (GTI)<\/a>, an initiative providing global training and professional development resources and opportunities for students, professionals and educators, Misaras aims to do just that. Overseeing GTI\u2019s digital marketing and content creation efforts, Misaras leverages her background in journalism to craft powerful messages that resonate with the unit\u2019s various audiences. <\/p>\n\n\n As more and more information becomes available, however, Misaras recognizes that audiences don\u2019t only need emotional anecdotes that move them \u2013\u00a0they also need data that convinces and drives them. But data, too, is most powerful when it\u2019s presented with a story. Because data analytics and storytelling are such complementary skills, Misaras believes it\u2019s important to have a strong foundation in both. That\u2019s why she turned to the MMA program at NC State.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cIn my time with GTI, I\u2019ve done some certificate programs in digital marketing to teach myself skills, but I\u2019d really like to build a more comprehensive foundation in marketing analytics and learn best practices from industry leaders and folks in the private sector. I heard some really good things about the MMA program, and because my kids are getting older, I now have a little more free time to pursue a degree,\u201d she continues.<\/p>\n\n\n Plus, Misaras says, it\u2019s right on schedule. Already, Misaras has seen the power analytics and technology have to drive initiatives forward, facilitate cross-cultural experiences and enable strategic decision-making \u2013\u00a0and that\u2019s what excites her about building on the skills she already has. By expanding her skills in analytics and marketing, Misaras is eager to become even more effective in her ability to streamline brand strategies and demonstrate the value of programs and services to different audiences. Applying these skills to her role with GTI, she hopes to strengthen the initiative\u2019s efforts to leave a legacy by advancing cultural competence, professional development and innovation around the globe.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n Misaras also looks forward to learning from faculty and students in the MMA program who come from different backgrounds and disciplines. Working in international education for the last decade, she has appreciated the opportunity to connect with educators across the globe who share her passions for global education and cross-cultural understanding. Through these relationships, Misaras says she has learned a great deal about herself and the world, and she knows she will carry these perspectives wherever she goes in the future. \u201cI think they\u2019ll teach me a lot of new things about myself, kind of like how certain friends can draw out different aspects of your personality. It\u2019s not that you\u2019re a different person around different people, but a specific context or group can highlight different interests and show you things about yourself you hadn\u2019t discovered before,\u201d she says. \u201cSo, I look forward to seeing how they broaden my perspective and help me identify new opportunities for career growth, and I\u2019m really excited to see what the future holds for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n To learn more about the Master of Management, Marketing Analytics (MMA) program at NC State\u2019s Poole College of Management, click <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n This post was originally published<\/a> in Master of Management Marketing Analytics.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false,"raw":"\n By Samantha Beavers<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n From working with CNN International\u2019s Inside Africa series to doing hurricane coverage with Spectrum News, teaching about cultural competency and putting on a conference for EFL teachers in Baku, Azerbaijan, incoming Master of Management, Marketing Analytics (MMA)<\/a> student Ilin Misaras has learned a lot about telling stories and delivering information over the years. Her biggest takeaway? Building bridges is the key to communicating with diverse audiences.
\u201cIf you can learn to bridge the gaps between what you deliver and other people\u2019s assumptions and expectations, you can make a huge impact. A lot of times, the barrier to trust and strong relationships is not what information you\u2019re presenting, but how you\u2019re presenting it,\u201d Misaras explains. \u201cIt\u2019s important to understand different thinking styles and cultural values, and then tailor your messages to others in a way that\u2019s consistent with how they think and process information.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\nTelling stories<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
\u201cFor most of my life, words have been my main tool. But in today\u2019s world, it\u2019s important to make data-driven decisions. And while the numbers don\u2019t lie, the way you interpret and present numbers can really affect the way others make decisions. For me, it\u2019s important to brush up on my data skills in order to glean accurate insights \u2013\u00a0and then share those with others in a compelling way,\u201d she explains.
\u201cFor example, my two boys have Legos scattered all over the house. I can sort those into piles of green Legos and blue Legos, and there\u2019s nothing wrong with that \u2013 that is helpful. Or, I can take those piles and begin to stack them. But when I use Legos to build a house with a lawn, that\u2019s when you can see the value of Legos, right? That\u2019s just like data. I can sort it and stack it, and that\u2019s great \u2013\u00a0but when I use it to tell a story, that\u2019s when others see how meaningful it is,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ma.poole.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/08\/Ilin-Misaras-family-photo-16x9-1-1024x576.jpg\")
Developing skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
\u201cIt seems like I get a degree every ten years or so. After getting my bachelor\u2019s degree in journalism from New York University, I spent ten years working as a broadcast journalist and then got my master\u2019s in international studies from NC State, which allowed me to transition into a role with GTI,\u201d she explains. \u201cIt\u2019s now been a little over a decade that I\u2019ve worked as an international educator, so it seems right that I go back to school and get another degree. I\u2019m very excited to start this new phase and looking forward to seeing where my new skills take me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\nLeveraging analytics<\/h3>\n\n\n
\u201cA few years ago, I worked closely with another unit and faculty member on campus to develop a virtual reality module on cultural competence. We are in the process of incorporating artificial intelligence, so we kind of married ChatGPT with one of the characters we\u2019ve created \u2013\u00a0and this character has come to life now. We hope this will be an amazing educational tool to engage students, because if you approach a student and say, \u2018Hey, would you like to learn about cultural competence?\u2019 they may or may not be interested. But if you say, \u2018Hey, you want to play with virtual reality and AI?\u2019 they\u2019re nearly always interested,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\nBroadening perspectives<\/h3>\n\n\n
At the same time, she recognizes that every field tends to attract people who are cut from the same cloth \u2013 so she thinks networking with professionals from different industries in the private sector will be incredibly valuable. <\/p>\n\n\n
\u201cIf you can learn to bridge the gaps between what you deliver and other people\u2019s assumptions and expectations, you can make a huge impact. A lot of times, the barrier to trust and strong relationships is not what information you\u2019re presenting, but how you\u2019re presenting it,\u201d Misaras explains. \u201cIt\u2019s important to understand different thinking styles and cultural values, and then tailor your messages to others in a way that\u2019s consistent with how they think and process information.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\nTelling stories<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n