Major: Spanish & International Studies
International Marketing Director, American Heart Association
“I am the International Marketing Director for the American Heart Association. In this role, I help bring the organization’s hundred years of science and programs that have helped transform heart and brain care in the US beyond our borders. I credit much of my success to Austin College. My coursework encouraged diversity in learning and a natural curiosity, nurtured a wide variety of interests and taught me how to think through a challenge and find a creative solution vs. just a rote formula. My Spanish language skills, the history and government knowledge I learned in my International Studies classes, combined with an appreciation for literature, helped me land my first job! I could speak to clients about their literature, their country’s history and I had an awareness of themes and important artists in their culture … it enabled me to connect on more levels than just work.”
Before becoming the international marketing director, Kelly was the marketing manager for AHA’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care Community Programs. She also worked in international political consulting, and taught seventh grade in Juticalpa, Honduras, before joining the AHA.