When Carly Pitts arrived at the Lacy School of Business (LSB) in August 2023, she didn’t have a clear vision for her career – just a strong desire to learn, grow, and find the right fit. “I wanted to go somewhere that was the perfect size and somewhere decently away from home,” the Minnesota native laughed. “I was looking for a good business school and everyone around me kept saying LSB was one of the best.”
What sealed the deal was LSB’s hands-on approach. Carly was especially intrigued by the Real Business Experience (RBE), a program that has sophomore students start and run a business from scratch. Her RBE company, Butler Chew, created and sold dog toys. Those first steps in running a business taught her more than just marketing skills – they taught her how to take initiative, collaborate with a team, and see a project through from idea to execution.
“It’s one thing to learn about business in class, but it’s another to actually build one from the ground up,” the Marketing and Economics student said. “And I loved that we had to complete two internships. It guaranteed I’d get real experience before graduating.”
Her curiosity for marketing, though, had begun in high school, through classes and DECA competitions. But it wasn’t until she took Principles of Microeconomics with Dr. Whitney Bross that she discovered a complementary passion.
“Economics tied into my analytical brain and complemented marketing really well,” the senior said.
This combination of marketing and economics would shape the kind of professional – and person – she wanted to become, guiding the choices she made during internships and beyond.
In May 2024, Carly began her Digital Marketing internship with Banner Engineering, an automation company that designs sensors to help machines streamline processes. Although she didn’t know much about the industry, her brother had once interned there, and her father built part of his career with the organization – making it a natural fit.
She dove into digital marketing, handling competitive research and analytics, including a 12-company competitive analysis that became the centerpiece of her internship. “I learned how to work in an office, lead meetings, and present findings to senior leaders. I also discovered that I love research and analytics – but maybe not sitting in a cubicle all day,” she admitted with a laugh. Banner gave her a solid foundation in professional discipline and strategy, but it also made her think: what did it mean to use these skills in a way that truly mattered to her?
That question followed her overseas, where she returned to GO Ministries in the Dominican Republic – a place that had first captured her heart during a summer trip. GO Ministries empowers local leaders through Church Planting, Medical, and Sports initiatives, supporting communities with mentorship, ministries, mobile clinics, and sports programs that develop the next generation of leaders.
When the opportunity arose to intern with them in July 2024, she didn’t hesitate. She spent five weeks initially and then returned for a 12-week internship in the summer of 2025, focusing on storytelling, donor engagement, and volunteer marketing
“Nonprofit marketing is really different,” she explained. “You’re not marketing a product – you’re marketing a purpose. You’re telling stories that inspire people to give, serve, and be part of something bigger.”
In this role, Carly found a place where her professional skills could serve a bigger mission, and her heart could fully engage.
By fall 2025, Carly made a decision that would define the next chapter of her journey: she accepted a full-time role with GO Ministries, headquartered in Louisville, as Coordinator of Media Marketing, beginning right after graduation.
“I loved my time at Banner – it taught me so much – but I realized I needed to be a little uncomfortable to stay interested,” she said. “With GO, I found something I’m passionate about. If you love your work, you’re not really working.”
In this role, she’ll manage social media accounts, share stories from local and international teams, and even launch a podcast – all while traveling regularly to the Dominican Republic.
Looking back, Carly credits LSB with preparing her for both corporate and nonprofit worlds.
“I didn’t expect my Digital Marketing class with Dr. Chi Zhang to help inform my life trajectory as much as it did,” she said. “We partnered with a nonprofit called COIN and created social media campaigns for them. That project helped me understand nonprofit marketing before I even interned abroad.”
That combination of classroom learning, hands-on experience, and real-world exploration gave Carly the confidence to chart her own path – one that connects business with purpose.
When asked what advice she’d give other students still figuring out their paths, her answer was clear:
“Take the risky internship – the nontraditional one. College is the time to experiment and try something different. You’ll learn what you like and what you don’t, and that’s just as valuable.”
And if she could talk to her first-year self? “Don’t worry so much,” she said. “If you get involved and try new things, you’ll figure it out. It takes time, but it all works out the way it’s supposed to.”
