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At Leeds, not only do students find forever friends in their classes, but they also discover the first steps toward their future careers.

For Lucy Kubas (Fin, Mktg’25) and Michelle Enkhaldar (Bus, Mktg’25), their career journey began in their senior year Pricing and Channels of Distribution course. On the first day of class, Kubas sat down next to Enkhaldar, and a conversation sparked what would later shape their professional paths. With a little inspiration—and the support of a dedicated alum who helped open doors to internships and job opportunities—the two found not only direction but also a shared momentum that carried them into their post-grad careers.

A class connection

The two seniors had met each other before, as Enkhaldar was the president of �Ͼ�Ʒ�� American Marketing Association (AMA) chapter, where Kubas was a member. They connected on LinkedIn. Kubas was in the middle of her senior year job search and saw that Enkhaldar had just completed an internship with Amélie Company, a Denver-based advertising agency. She asked Enkhaldar some questions about it the next time they saw each other, and Enkhaldar shared her story.

Hard work pays off

Michelle Enkhaldar (Bus, Mktg’25)

Back in January 2024, Enkhaldar was in the thick of her junior-year internship search. The previous semester, in September 2024, she was awarded the Forever Buffs “Buff of the Month,” as well as being recognized as the Leeds GOLD Board Outstanding Undergraduate. She juggled her academic workload with planning concerts for the �Ͼ�Ʒ�� Program Council and volunteering with Camp Kesem, a support community for children of parents who have cancer. Between those efforts, Enkhaldar squeezed internship searches into late-night LinkedIn scrolls.

One evening, she was searching online through the Leeds Network and wherever else she could find internship opportunities that piqued her interest. She saw an opening at Amélie Company, whose mission of giving back to the people of Colorado resonated with her. She was inspired by efforts such as a partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation to develop a nonjudgmental awareness campaign to tackle driving while under the influence of marijuana. “This is the company I want to work for this summer,” she thought.

"Leeds builds a great foundation, and if you take the initiative, it can launch your career."

Michelle Enkhaldar (Bus, Mktg’25)

After applying, she felt driven to make a direct connection with the company. She cold-messaged eight employees on LinkedIn before noticing that one, Royer Lopez (Mktg’18, MBA’26), was a Leeds alumnus. She excitedly reached out to him, and soon after, they met on Zoom to discuss the job. As she progressed through the interview stage, she recalled the campaigns Lopez had told her about—projects she could align with. “He was such a great support system,” she said. By the end of the semester, Enkhaldar hard work paid off, and she got an internship with Amélie.

That summer, Enkhaldar worked on the Keep the Party Safe Initiative. She worked with the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention to educate at-risk populations on the dangers of fentanyl. She was able to apply her experience from the Program Council. “There was a connection there,” she said, bringing together the skills for planning music events to planning campaigns. “I felt more confident that leaders and people in the workplace appreciated me taking initiative,” Enkhaldar said.

When Kubas expressed interest in joining Amélie, Enkhaldar eagerly put her in touch with Lopez to start the process.��

Following in a friend footsteps

Lucy Kubas (Fin, Mktg’25)

After hearing about Enkhaldar experience, Kubas felt confident in her decision to apply to Amélie. She met Lopez shortly before graduation, and like her friend, she loved the company's mission. Instead of prioritizing products, they prioritize people. Just days after graduating in May, Kubas walked into her job at Amélie.����

Over the summer, she was excited to work with 988 Colorado, a hotline designed to connect people in Colorado to a trained specialist for emotional distress, mental health crises and substance use concerns. She helped design pop-ups for Rockies games and Fiddler Green Ampitheatre and created an ambient radio station that helped people feel calmer.

Midway through June, she was called into a meeting with her supervisor. They loved her work and wanted to offer her a full-time role in a new position created for her. Now, Kubas works as a digital account specialist, spending half her time with the accounts team and the other half with the media team in a role she loves—one that perfectly suited to her career aspirations.

A career launch

Enkhaldar was able to parlay her internship and academic experiences into a role at Live Nation through its College Associate Program in New York City. This past summer, she was excited to facilitate the digital content development of their new product Snap Nation, a bridge between Snapchat and Live Nation. She said that opportunity would never have happened without Amélie, or the Leeds connection that started it all.

"Honestly, every opportunity that I've had is because of my connection to Leeds and networking with alumni. Leeds builds a great foundation, and if you take the initiative, it can launch your career,” she said.

Leaning on each other

Enkhaldar and Kubas attribute their career success to the support system at Leeds. “You are all in this together, and it important to lean on and support each other,” said Enkhaldar. She emphasized, “The people that you're in class with now, even if they are a grade or two below, are going to be VPs or senior managers one day.”

"Don’t be afraid to reach out to people in your class. That can sometimes be a little nerve-wracking and scary, but we’re all in the same boat."��

Lucy Kubas (Fin, Mktg’25)

Kubas advised focusing on peer support, not intimidation. “Don’t be afraid to reach out to people in your class. That can sometimes be a little nerve-wracking and scary, but we’re all in the same boat,” she said. Learning about other different experiences is valuable, she added.

Enkhaldar summed it up this way: “Confidence, kindness and taking initiative will open future doors. At the end of the day, your peers are your support system, and the little things go a long way.”