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WIU-QC students in the Service and Product Marketing course (MKTG 337) raised $22,689 through community service projects designed to teach the students to plan, execute and evaluate a service activity.
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WIU-Quad Cities Students End 2015 by Making a Difference

January 11, 2016

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MACOMB/MOLINE, IL - - A Western Illinois University-Quad Cities marketing class ended 2015 with a bang. The students raised $22,689 through community service projects designed to teach the students to plan, execute and evaluate a service activity.

The Service and Product Marketing course (MKTG 337) gave students an opportunity to use their time and skills to give back to the community.

"Through the execution of this service project, I learned that it does not require much capital to create extraordinary results," said Ashly Ochoa (senior human resource management major from Rock Island, IL), who co-chaired the Jordan Catholic School Walk-a-thon and raised $18,000. "Sometimes you have to produce gains with minimal resources."

The projects weren't just about raising money. Students fed home-cooked meals to 1,856 people at a homeless shelter, sponsored the third annual QC Adult Wheelchair Tennis Tournament and were involved in a variety of other service projects.

Alex Lucas, senior supply chain management major from Moline (IL), said he gained more than marketing experience from his service project.

"I have never been in charge of something that could make a positive difference," Lucas said. "As a student, this project was valuable and challenging in the respect that it let me know who I was as a person."

WIU-QC Professor of Marketing Ann Walsh, who taught the course, said the results of the service project surprised her.

"Watching students come up with their own service experience is an enlightening process. I'm amazed to learn what is meaningful to our students and at the depth and diversity of the projects. Projects like this one give students experience in their field of study they can utilize once they graduate," said Walsh.

The Services and Product Marketing course is offered each fall semester at both the WIU-QC and Macomb campuses.

For more information about the student service projects, contact WIU-QC Director of Marketing Tami Seitz at TS-Seitz@wiu.edu or (309) 762-9481.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing