Name: Samay Ruparelia
Major: Marketing and Management Information Systems
Hometown: Langhorne, PA
For students at Temple University’s Fox School of Business, there’s plenty of school and community experiences and extracurricular activities to make the most of a student’s time.
Students can join a student professional organization or a music group, travel internationally for a global immersion experience, become a resident assistant in the dorms or find an on-campus job to work.
Or they could be like marketing and management information systems (MIS) major Samay Ruparelia and do all those things.
“I found being involved on campus and doing as much activity as possible made my entire student experience at Temple so special,” Ruparelia said, adding that he found both Fox and Temple University provided great opportunities to learn and grow as an individual.
Ruparelia is a shining example of what it means to make the most of your time as a Temple student.
Originally drawn to the Fox School for its honors program and proximity to his hometown of Langhorne, PA, he prepares to graduate knowing he truly combined strong classroom success as a marketing and MIS major with his drive to experience all the campus community could offer to make a meaningful undergraduate experience.
Early in his Temple tenure, Ruparelia, a life-long musician, was a cellist for the Temple University Symphony Orchestra. Operated under the Boyer College of Music and Dance umbrella, a highlight of his time with the group included the opportunity to perform at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
Later in his Temple journey, he served as resident assistant in both his sophomore and junior year. While he recalls this as memorable, he’s quick to admit that a different experience easily stands out as the most impactful.
“Traveling to and experiencing the global immersion trip in South Korea during the spring semester of my junior year was something I will never ever forget,” Ruparelia said.
“Although I didn’t enter Fox originally as a marketing major, I’ve become really passionate about the subject, and the trip with a group from Fox was an amazing week-long blend of education into the industry through a global perspective.
“On top of that, becoming immersed within and seeing the culture first-hand is something I’m very thankful for.”
Out of everything he did, one group especially though gave him the perfect opportunity to combine his classroom marketing knowledge with professional development among his peers: the American Marketing Association (AMA) student professional organization (SPO).
“From my sophomore year on, being a part of and growing within AMA was highly beneficial for me in so many ways,” Ruparelia explained.
“Not only did I find fantastic professional development opportunities, but becoming a member of their e-board allowed me to travel to New Orleans and Chicago for their annual international chapter conference.
“Overall, I recommend any marketing major join AMA—not only do you find a great group of like-minded students, but you also find a community that supports you and wants to help you succeed.”
Using the success he’s found in the classroom and beyond it, Ruparelia now shifts his attention to making an impact in his professional field. Beyond graduation, he will begin his career with Burlington Stores Inc. as an allocation analyst.
Even his new role ties back to his time at Fox.
“I interned with Burlington last summer as a planning and allocation analyst intern, so I am very excited to be returning to formally start my career with them,” Ruparelia said.
“My experience and connections I made within AMA helped me get my internship in the first place, so it’s a full-circle step that I am grateful for.”
While he readies to complete his time at Fox, Ruparelia is proud that the experiences and education will always be a part of him.
And he graduates knowing he fully made the most of his time as a student.