TMP Student Spotlight: Anna Ashe

TMP Student Spotlight: Anna Ashe

Anna Ashe graduated from UC Santa Barbara last June 2016 with a double major in Film & Media Studies and English and a certificate in Technology Management.

She was a part of the Pi Beta Phi sorority as well as the Sprout Up student organization. Anna is originally from Saratoga, California and enjoys reading, video filming & editing, playing soccer, and going on hikes.

Your learning experiences in TMP

How did you hear about TMP and why did you decide to join the program? I heard about it when I was going into my sophomore year from a friend who was completing his certificate after graduating. I decided to join the program because I’ve always been interested in entrepreneurship, and it sounded like the perfect way to get an education in business in addition to my degree.

What are some of your influential learning experiences going through TMP? Any challenging but rewarding TMP courses? The most challenging and by far most rewarding course I’ve taken was TMP 149. It is one of the courses you can take in preparation for the New Venture Competition. The class was incredibly time consuming and rigorous, but definitely worth the effort. This class taught me exactly how to go about creating a business from an idea.

Did you have any key mentors or people who deeply influenced you while you were in TMP? All of the instructors and staff involved with the TMP program are excellent and incredibly helpful. Two instructors who tend to stand out for me are Steve Zahm, the main instructor of TMP 149, and Craig Cummings, my TMP 120 instructor. Steve really drove me to work hard and taught me the importance of customer validation. TMP 120 was the first TMP class I took, and Craig was able to get me really excited about the program right off the bat.

What were the benefits of a program like Technology Management on campus to you, which is a combination of business and management education, and entrepreneurship? The great thing about the TMP program is that it gave me, a film & media and English major, an opportunity to take courses that involve creating a start up, marketing, business, finance, etc. It also connected me with a lot of great instructors and peers that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet without the TMP program.

Your advice to students/parents about UCSB’s TMP

What advice would you give to students about UCSB’s Technology Management certificate program? My advice would be, if you are at all interested in entrepreneurship, to definitely take TMP 149 and participate in the New Venture Competition—it’s one of the greatest learning experiences available at UCSB.

How would you explain to students and parents what you can do with a Technology Management Certificate? The Technology Management Certificate is great to reference during job interviews. In my experience, interviewers love to see the kinds of practical experience that comes with the certificate. It can really help to round out a resume that may be more academic.

Your Goals after UCSB and TMP

Where are you going after graduation and what are your plans? (e.g. job, grad school, etc.) After graduation I will be working as a Media Associate in the San Francisco office of DigitasLBi, an advertising agency.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far at UCSB and TMP? So far, my biggest accomplishment at UCSB within the TMP program was making it to the semi-finals of the New Venture Competition.

What do you see yourself doing in the next 5-10 years? I don’t know, we’ll have to see!

Anything else you want to share with us? The TMP department has some of the most helpful staff and advisors I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Katie, one of the advisors, is one of the sweetest and most helpful people on campus.