Name: Carrie West
Family: Michael and Susan West are my amazing parents. Brandon and Hannah West are my siblings.
Hometown: Savannah, GA
Current town: Atlanta, GA
What years at UGA: 2012-2016
School/Degree: BS Consumer Journalism with The Digital New Media Interdisciplinary Certificate
Could you please describe your career? I’m currently a Strategy Consultant at Deloitte, and I love it! I’ve always been interested in creative strategy, digital marketing, and the art of storytelling. I think it’s incredible when people (artists, strategists, product designers, engineers, you name it) find a source of inspiration, articulate their vision, build and collaborate on the story with others, and run with the idea. In my last semester at UGA in the NMI, I wrote a paper on the Coca Cola commercials and how businesses are finding success by complementing their creative storytelling techniques with technology to better understand consumers and create great experiences. The work that I do now is very similar! I specialize in problem solving and innovation framework that focuses on the ways that humans feel when using a product. We combine design, creative marketing, innovative technology, and digital strategy techniques to help our clients solve tricky problems, differentiate themselves, and grow! I still have a lot to learn, but I’m extremely grateful to be surrounded by such driven, out of the box thinkers that are working to solve big problems and make an impact in our country.
What was your biggest take away from UGA? The importance of relationships and friendship. I can confidently say that I had one of the absolute best college experiences and the people are what made it so special. Individuals from all different walks of life come to UGA for a variety of reasons—the academics are great, and Athens is (obviously) the most fun college town in America…but there is so much more to UGA than just that. The people are genuine, down to earth, and know how to have a good time. My friends became my family, my teachers became my mentors; I was surrounded by people who genuinely cared. My top 3 takeaways are probably: 1. Don’t underestimate the smallest gestures and acts of kindness. They go a long way. 2. The importance of listening to others, genuinely listening. It not only builds relationships, but it makes you smarter. Being interested in others, makes you interesting. 3. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and have fun!
What was your favorite class UGA? Digital New Media Design, Digital New Media Capstone Project, and Women’s Studies. I met so many new people outside of my core friend group in my new media classes, who became some of my best friends. These classes were fun, super interesting, and brought out my creativity in ways that I didn’t even know existed. Since most of our projects were group based, I learned how to work well with others and how to capitalize on the strengths of different people within the team. This is a super important and transferable skill for what I do now. I also really enjoyed Women’s Studies. It was inspiring to learn about the past and present hardships that women face and endure across the world. That class made me very appreciative of the status of women today, and the lessons I learned are applicable to every job, relationship, and circumstance. Gaining that perspective really helped me have a better grasp on how to navigate my life after college.
What is your favorite part about your career? The people are my favorite part. Consulting is a relationship business. It’s not just about building relationships with your clients but about the connections you have with your teammates and peers. Working in a large firm forces you outside of your comfort zone and introduces you to so many different people with so much knowledge. Finding a career with a great culture and people that choose to invest in you is super important.
What are some of your hobbies? I love sports! I try to go to as many UGA football games as possible. I also love going to Atlanta United and Braves games. Other than sports, I enjoy trying new restaurants, cooking, reading, interior design, and traveling. The arts are important to me and have always been an integral part of who I am. Unfortunately, I don’t get to travel as much as I would like but luckily, I live in a big city and get to experience so many new things. The food scene in Atlanta is incredible. I highly recommend any Ford Fry restaurant.
What is your favorite restaurant in Athens and what do you like to eat there? That’s a tough one…Athens has the best food! I have a few favorites. 1. Sea Bear—the mussels are amazing, and the vibes are great. 2. Last Resort— The entire menu is delicious but my go to is usually the southwestern grazer salad or the filet and of course, the white chocolate cheesecake. Every time I go to Athens, I make sure to bring back a few slices for my roommates.
Were you involved in Greek Life at UGA? If so, what was your favorite part about it? Yes, I was a Kappa Kappa Gamma! My favorite part were the people and all the best friends that I made, we had so much fun. I was also the social chair and loved planning our events.
What did you do on a typical gameday in Athens? There is nothing better than Saturday in Athens. My friends and I would usually start our game days off with a Chick-fil-a biscuit (shamelessly) before we found a fun tailgating spot close to the stadium or downtown.
How has the transition from college life to the business world been? The transition is definitely not easy. During college you are surrounded by your best friends on a daily basis and it was hard moving away from each other. Every morning, I would wake up, walk outside of my room, see my friends and know that we had something to do. It was a much more relaxed, yet spontaneous way of living. It can be uncomfortable learning to adjust to a different schedule, lifestyle, and being on your own. It took me some time to adjust, but now I’m so much more independent and really enjoy my job. Athens is also an incomparable city but moving away made me appreciate it so much more.
Who would you consider your hero?
My mother. She’s the perfect combination of fierce, funny, and lady-like. She’s extremely supportive and somehow has a solution to every problem. She’s my rock and an amazing mother, wife, and friend. I hope to be like her one day!