Posted on December 6, 2021 by Wendy Frost
Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Mackenzie Hogan will begin working for the “happiest place on Earth” when she graduates with her B.B.A. in marketing from the UTSA Carlos Alvarez College of Business.
Hogan accepted a full-time offer with Disney Cruise Line Entertainment as an entertainer. She’ll rehearse with the cast for two months in Toronto, then she’ll spend eight months on a ship based in the Caribbean.
Dancing for the past 17 years, this opportunity will allow her to follow her passions as well as her academic interests. She’ll also graduate with a minor in dance as well as a concentration in sport, event and tourism management from the college.
“I’ve always wanted to work with Disney,” said Hogan, who is from Pearland, Texas. “And, I’ve always loved to travel. This is the perfect job for me.”
Instead of simply “wishing upon a star,” Hogan did the legwork to make her dream a reality. Beginning her junior year she began researching Disney. Then, she talked to people who had worked at the company. Finally, she explored their college programs.
“I admire the way they coordinate their events and activities and their excellent customer service,” said Hogan, who is also a member of the Honors College and the Business Honors Program. “I wanted to participate in the Disney College program, but they suspended it because of Covid.”
Destination Marketing was one of Hogan’s favorite courses at UTSA. Wanting to work in the tourism industry, she liked learning about the interconnectedness between events and marketing. Taking faculty member Ric Jensen for several courses, she was allowed to explore this passion.
Graduating in only three and a half years, she still had plenty of time to get involved in UTSA student organizations. She has served as vice president of marketing and programming for Roadrunner Productions, a student organization that is responsible for hosting large UTSA student events like BestFest and the Howdy Rowdy Bash on campus. She also was a member of the American Marketing Association, the dance club and a 2021 finalist for Miss UTSA.
Hogan also completed two professional internships. The first was with Easy Event Planning as a digital marketing intern, and this summer she was an events/destination management intern with the CE Group.
“At Easy Event Planning, we used SEO tactics to improve rankings for blogs that we posted,” she said. “An article that I wrote on Audrey Hepburn theme parties was ranked first in that search category. With CE Group we’d create proposals for clients that wanted to host events in San Antonio. I learned the power of networking and how to improve my business communication skills.”
Wanting to share her experiences, Hogan had some parting words for current business students.
“Go to class, get the grades and graduate, but don’t forget to have fun along the way. Learn how to balance the fun and work in your life. I’ll be forever grateful to UTSA for teaching me that lesson.”
— Wendy Frost
