Madam President: Madison McQuary’s STCO Journey

Name: Madison McQuary
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia 
Major: Strategic Communication 

Madison McQuary discovered the Bob Schieffer College of Communication her first year at Texas Christian University. She applied to the Strategic Communication program and three months later was accepted. The personalized classes really attracted her, and she was able to tailor a college experience to her interests. 

When it comes to McQuary, it’s not only her creativity that fuels her but also her sense of strategic thinking, which she first discovered in Research with Dr. Jong-Hyuok Jung. The research class was the perfect combination of creative art and science. She believed her first academic milestone in the program came with a Tesla research project. She was challenged to perform extensive research and create a cohesive solution for a situation that Tesla was facing. This hands-on experience she gained in class made her hungry for morepointing her to Roxothe student-run advertising and public relations agency. 

McQuary first learned about Roxo in her advertising class during one of the agency’s recruiting presentations. However, she had to wait a year to apply and meet the academic requirements, so she looked for alternate ways to get involved in her major while she waited. She joined the TCU Advertising Association, which gave her a sense of belonging before stepping into the world of Roxo. She was later accepted into Roxo as a creative directorworking with Way Out West Spine Mobility Clinic and on a COVID-19 campaign for Roxo. She was put in charge of a seven-person account teammanaging deadlines, strategies and visual components through innovation, concept and creation. 

McQuary thrived when delegating and juggling multiple tasks because she is flexible and easily adapts. Her position as a creative director allowed her to lead her peers, manage conflicts, and help her team work together. She encountered several occasions as a creative director where things didn’t go as planned and these experiences led her to become a better decision-maker while still being respectful of others’ ideas. She knew that she wanted to lead the agency further, so she decided to pursue a position on the executive team of Roxo.  

McQuary applied for and earned the position of Roxo president for the fall semester of 2020 and she said it has been the highlight of her career experience. “I love being a part of this agency and am excited to see what’s to come for the future of Roxo,” she said. “Leaders have to set the example with dedication and enthusiasm for the task at hand. I always try to embody those characteristics when leading the agency.” 

McQuary believes hard work and dedication will one day land her dream of owning a creative agency, but for now she is keeping her post-graduation sights set on landing a position at an advertising or public relations agency.