As an undergraduate marketing major and current MBA student at Northern Kentucky University (NKU), Devron Abrams’ experience as a student has been marked by a sense of belonging.
“It feels like family,” Abrams says. “I got to go here with my best friends—people that I knew prior to undergrad and those that I met after. I still talk to them today. We’re still in each other’s lives and we all have kids now. It’s been great just to live life together.”
Abrams first enrolled at NKU in 2009. Though the university wasn’t initially on his radar as a high school student, a campus tour during his senior year piqued his interest.
“I learned more about the undergraduate business program through conversations with people on campus, which really made a difference for me,” Abrams says. “I ended up earning a scholarship as well, which helped me make my final decision.”
“We’re still in each other’s lives and we all have kids now. It’s been great just to live life together."
He became interested in marketing early on, leading him to land an internship his senior year at Campus Entertainment LLC, where he scheduled promotions on social media and conducted market research on campus. After graduation, Abrams used his experience to pursue a career as a freelance marketer.
“I work with small businesses to build up their social media presence and provide anything they need, like market research,” he says. “I like being able to work with small businesses, because they don’t necessarily have the budgets that larger corporations do. Being able to provide this resource to them is really important.”
When Abrams decided to return to school for his MBA in 2022, he was enthusiastic to come back to NKU.
“My undergraduate experience went really well in terms of my classes and relationships with professors, so having that connection with the school brought me back as a graduate student,” he says. “I really enjoyed my undergrad classes with Chip Heath and Stephanie Hughes, and when I returned 10 years later, they were still here. It’s been great continuing to learn from them and developing myself as a professional.”
Outside of the classroom, Abrams is the president of the Golden Key International Honor Society, secretary for the Black Graduate and Professional Student Association (BGPSA) and was recently named a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society.
He says that BGPSA allows him to connect with other Black graduates and students while building the community for other students who need it.
“It’s something that I wish I had been more involved with as an undergraduate,” Abrams says.
As a first-generation college student, getting his MBA means setting example for his family, especially his children.
“I want to show them that this is a great path to take,” says Abrams. “Gaining the knowledge and experience education provides is so important both for your own life and to employers."
