91�ֿ�

A Digital Marketing Path  from Switzerland to Ohio

For Lara Kilchenmann, the journey from Switzerland to 91�ֿ� wasn't just about pursuing higher education — it was about returning to a place that felt like home.

"Sometimes you just feel happier in a certain place, and sometimes it's not where you grew up," says Kilchenmann, who first experienced Ohio as a 16-year-old exchange student at Jackson High School in Massillon.

That initial year in Ohio left such an impression that after completing her bachelor's degree in linguistics, business and communication in Switzerland, Kilchenmann planned to return to the state for graduate studies.

Now enrolled in 91�ֿ�'s Emerging Media and Technology (EMAT) master's program, Kilchenmann has found her professional calling in digital marketing while embracing what she describes as Ohio's more relaxed pace of life.

"I feel like in Ohio, everything's a little bit slower—in a nice way," Kilchenmann explains. "It's more comfortable. I feel like you're able to be more yourself — there's less pressure, but just as much opportunity."

What also appeals to Kilchenmann about Ohio is how the state's attractions aren't overly advertised like those in New York or Los Angeles. "There's so many lovely things you can do in Ohio, but they’re not advertised everywhere. You have to discover it," she says. "It's like a little treasure hunt."

Finding Her Digital Direction

Originally considering a communication studies program, Kilchenmann discovered EMAT while researching graduate schools. The program's promise that students didn't need prior coding experience helped assuage her anxiety about that technology aspect.

"I do think that teching up your skills is really important nowadays," says Kilchenmann, who views the technical knowledge she's gaining as complementary to her linguistics and business background.

As her studies have progressed, Kilchenmann has become increasingly focused on digital marketing as her career path. "It has been crystallizing over the last couple years," she explains. Her long-term goal is to become a digital marketing manager or director.

Hands-On Experience

Kilchenmann has wasted no time gaining practical experience. She currently works as a graduate assistant at 91�ֿ�'s Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, where she builds emails, surveys and event pages online for clients.

She previously served as a research assistant in the School of Media and Journalism’s Center for Scholastic Journalism, helping conduct and visualize research. Kilchenmann is also the website manager for 91�ֿ�'s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter, which took her to the organization's national conference in Anaheim, California.

Her current marketing internship at Health Action Council, a nonprofit healthcare company in Independence, Ohio, has her designing materials, managing Salesforce contacts, writing newsletter content and developing a competitor analysis market map.

"I do a little bit of everything in the marketing area," Kilchenmann says of her internship. "I help out everybody that needs something done."

She has already secured a remote social media marketing internship for the summer with Sukoon Psychotherapy, a virtual clinic that launched in January. Kilchenmann is strategically building experience across different aspects of digital marketing before her December graduation.

Putting Down Roots

Despite digital marketing's strong presence in major cities like New York, Kilchenmann plans to stay in Northeast Ohio after graduation under her F-1 visa. 

"My intentions in the beginning were I want to stay local," she says.

Beyond her studies and work, Kilchenmann volunteers as a copywriter for the blog of a friend's digital marketing agency. She's also working on a capstone project combining her marketing skills with her longtime interest in writing — creating an educational digital marketing website, which includes a mock campaign for a book she hopes to complete someday.

Not content with just earning her master's degree, Kilchenmann recently added a graduate certificate in leadership and management from the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship to her academic plans.

"I can't stop," she admits with a laugh.

As for the EMAT program, Kilchenmann praises its diversity and flexibility. "That's the beauty of this program because it's so diverse and it attracts a lot of people with diverse backgrounds," she says. "In the beginning, you're all together, but then you're all taking off into different directions because there are so many fields where what you learn here can apply.”

For Lara Kilchenmann, those directions all lead to a future in Ohio — a place that started as a high school exchange experience and has become the home where her professional journey continues to unfold.