Hull graduate feels prepared for future

Zach Markel was a military brat and moved every couple of years. He went to nine different schools before his father retired from the United States Army.

When he graduated high school in the Savannah, Georgia area, he wanted to go to a smaller college that was going to give him the opportunities he sought. He wanted the city feeling without it being too big a city. He was also looking for the right classroom size and wanted the chance to get to know his professors.

He visited Augusta University several times and fell in love with it. Now, almost four years later, he is preparing to graduate from the James M. Hull College of Business in May with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance.

Markel said he came in as an undeclared major, but after his first semester with Janna Moore and her Intro to Business class, he found his path.

“It just felt like they had a tight-knit community,” Markel said. “She told us of the opportunities they have; they have a constant number of employers on campus and the Hull Ambassador program. I joined as a sophomore and have been doing it ever since. I really enjoy it.”

Sharn Vericella, the Director of College Engagement in Hull, said Markel is one of the hardest working and most motivated students he’s come across. Markel is a full-time student while working two part-time jobs that amass more than 30 hours a week, and he also serves as a student volunteer with the Mobile Merchandise Units. He has also volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House.

Markel said his work ethic comes from his father, who served in the military for almost 30 years.

“He was always gone before I woke up in the morning and was getting home as we were sitting down for dinner in the evening. Seeing him do that for the length of his career in the Army definitely instilled that work ethic.”

Markel said he enjoyed working the weekends with the MMU, interacting with fans and spectators of the AU community while watching Jaguar athletic games, selling merchandise and talking about what they want to see sold at games. He said this is his busiest semester because of all he’s been involved in.

He generally takes one day a week off – Monday – to decompress. He sometimes goes kayaking or takes a walk downtown. He thinks some of his routine developed from all the moving he did. He was always in a new neighborhood, and he thinks being the new kid so often made him comfortable with always meeting new people and just trying to find something new.

“I feel like there is a very tight-knit community for business students here where we get opportunities that you may not get at a bigger school. You get to know your professor because you get to have so many conversations with them. I wear it on my chest now. I love being a Jaguar.”

Zach Markel

Markel said he wanted to get more involved with Hull College, and with the help of Vericella, Jennifer Mansell, MBA, and the Career & Academic Planning (CAP) Center, he did just that.

“I really enjoy interacting with students, and being a Hull Ambassador at the school, doing my internship here helps me be more present, but I like being busy.”

Vericella said Markel’s hunger to succeed impressed him the most.

“He works multiple jobs, is a Hull Ambassador, has an internship and maintains the GPA requirement. He’s just a well-rounded, good kid because of his father’s military background that’s instilled in him,” Vericella said. “He’s adaptable, but overall he’s just a solid ambassador for Hull College and Augusta University as a whole.”

Mansell and Vericella helped with Markel’s résumé and conducted mock interviews with him. Their preparation, along with that of the other Hull professors, helped Markel land a 15-month position with Cintas and its Leadership Development Program. Vericella believes it’s always on the student to come in and seek advice. He noted that every time Markel has come in, he has done so with an open mind.

“It’s a dream scenario for us because what we want to see at the end of the day is something like this. We all remember as freshmen, most of us were clueless and didn’t know what was going on, but to see that progression from Zach as a freshman to where he is now, he’s grown and matured,” Vericella said. “That’s what we want to see in all of our students.

Markel said his overall experience at Hull has left an impression on him. From Mansell helping him navigate the burnout, to his professors making him feel at home. He credits professor Dinesh Hasija, PhD, this semester with his strategic management class since he’ll pursue the management field post-graduation.

Markel also thanks lecturers Wendy Habegger, PhD, and Roger Duke for their guidance and their open-door policy. Markel said Duke has helped with project management for Columbia County for the past year and a half and is always there to answer his questions, even if they have little to nothing to do with his course.

“I want my students to leave my classes with an appreciation for the importance of project management, and if interested, pursue getting a project management certification. However, if I can make a difference in their well-being, that’s my true desire,” said Duke, a lecturer of Project Management. “I have learned many life lessons, and if I can help students learn them at their age, I’ve influenced the rest of their lives. My mantra is to be happier today than yesterday.”

Duke said Markel has impressed him with his interest in helping other people and having the initiative to act on his ideas. He applauds him for clearly combining his passions with purpose and encourages him to “continue to be positive, fail early and learn.”

“Don’t be successful, be significant. Focus on helping others. Be forgiving. Most of all, make choices that make you happier.”

Markel is proud to join the alumni ranks and wears his Jag swag to promote AU as much as possible. Any time he goes back to Savannah to see his family, he brings them hats and T-shirts. He said he’s realized there’s more of a community here than he realized at first, and when speaking with alumni who come back to the college to speak, he said it’s great to see the professional connections out in the workforce.

“Cintas has talked to me about potentially coming back and pitching their company to the students here on campus. I’ve developed a lot of pride for my school,” Markel said. “I feel like there is a very tight-knit community for business students here where we get opportunities that you may not get at a bigger school. You get to know your professor because you get to have so many conversations with them. I wear it on my chest now. I love being a Jaguar.”