#WhitmanWatch: Sarah Mikal Dalusma

Class of 2016
Majors: Marketing and Finance
Hometown: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmikaldalusma

When Sarah Mikal Dalusma made the decision to attend Syracuse University, it meant leaving behind everything that she knew in her hometown of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Now as a senior in Whitman, she couldn’t be happier with her choice. “I wanted to find a school that encouraged diversity and inclusion, but that also gave international students a voice,” explained Sarah. “I think Syracuse does a great job at both.”

Sarah’s voice is certainly heard on campus, as a leader for a number of different clubs and organizations. She is a member of the Dulye Leadership Experience, which is a scholarship program for juniors and seniors that provides opportunities for career development at a three-day retreat. Sarah was also recognized this year as a Remembrance Scholar, one of the University’s most prestigious awards. Each year, 35 seniors are chosen as scholars to honor the memory of 35 Syracuse University students who were killed onboard Pan Am Flight 103 during a terrorist attack in December 1988. Finally, as a project leader for Enactus’s Best Foot Forward project, Sarah visits the Jamesville Correctional Facility each week to teach female inmates skills that can help them land jobs and adjust to life upon their release.

Off campus, Sarah keeps herself just as busy through numerous internships. This summer, she was a strategy intern at top marketing firm Ogilvy & Mather, where she worked with the engagement planning department to analyze trends for companies like Starbucks and American Express. She also had an internship at Google this summer, where she participated in a four-week Advertising Boot Camp. At Google, Sarah was tasked with researching consumer behavior on Google products and performing competitive audits for the tech industry as a whole. Upon graduation, Sarah plans to work for a brand company, focused on marketing analytics and becoming an expert on consumer packaged goods. But eventually, said Sarah, “My plan is to take over the corporate world!”

Sarah credits her Whitman professors and the Career Center staff for supporting her and helping her to reach her goals. “My professors were all extremely supportive, and they are so candid with the students,” she said. “The Career Center advisors always do their best to coach you through the recruiting process and interviews, and most importantly they always follow up to see how everything is going.”

As a member of the Whitman community, Sarah said that she is always willing to help others during the recruiting process. She encourages any juniors or seniors interested in finding internships to reach out to her at smdalusm@syr.edu for support and advice.