Marketing grad steps out of her comfort zone

All Riley Wilder Nolan really needed to do to get back on track was to change tracks altogether.

After starting out in sociology, then changing her focus to marketing, the recent Central Washington University graduate's evolution as a student will take her across the Atlantic Ocean to Ireland this fall to pursue a master's degree in marketing at the University College Dublin.

Nolan says the change in majors seemed natural, due to sociology and marketing's shared focus on human behavior.

"Sociology is the study of humans, and I love humans," she said. "Any interaction, whether small or big, can make a big impact, so I realized that there was an intersectionality between human interaction and marketing, and how that impacts society as a whole."

Nolan spent three years pursuing a sociology degree at the University of Victoria (British Columbia), which was cut short by the pandemic in 2020. After transferring to CWU in 2021, Nolan found the marketing department to be welcoming and approachable, with ample opportunity to apply her learning as she went.

"All of the professors are amazing," she said. "I cannot express enough how encouraged I felt, especially being somebody who started in the social sciences. I felt super-welcomed into the business aspect of things. Also, I was able to pursue my passion for marketing and communications at the Central Communications Agency as the assistant firm director."

Through the Central Communications Agency, CWU's student-run marketing organization, Nolan was able to interact with a broad variety of businesses and organizations in need of marketing assistance. Through working and living in Ellensburg, she discovered her passion for sustainability and learned to use marketing as a tool for positive social change.

"I want people to see the important role marketing plays in society, and how it impacts us as people from the macro to the micro levels," said Nolan, who grew up in Seattle. "My focus is on sustainability and helping make people more comfortable with the concept of being more eco-conscious when it comes to human behaviors. I was inspired through my work with the Kittitas Environmental Education Network (KEEN), and the amazing job they've done creating youth programs for environmental education, as well as a sense of community behind the sustainability movement."

Nolan's passion and perseverance has brought her success in the professional world, too. After starting her internship with Colehour + Cohen (C+C), a social marketing agency in Seattle last summer, she was promoted to associate program coordinator within just two months. She plans to continue her work with the agency remotely while in Ireland.

For Nolan, going to Dublin is not only a venture outside of her routine; it's also a welcome return to a country that helped her find her enthusiasm once before, when she visited in 2018.

"Ireland just felt like home, while also challenging me to get out of my comfort zone," she said. "The first time I visited, I was going through a rough time and felt very introverted as a result, and Ireland just gave me that little kick I needed to start being curious about the world again."

If there's anything Nolan's journey has taught her, it's that challenging yourself is the key to a rewarding, fulfilling future.

"Make connections, push your boundaries, and always be open to new opportunities," she said. "Leaving Canada was hard for me, but I feel like CWU gave me an opportunity to slow down and take a look at what I really wanted to do rather than rushing into something I wasn't going to love. Take your time, be patient, and remember that the process is a marathon, not a sprint."