Palmer Trinity School

65 F A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 6 ALUMNEWS Life is an evolving cycle..." accounts including AT&T, Macy's, and CoverGirl before starting an exciting career at BMI. As the Director of Media and Public Relations for BMI Companies, Stephanie Garcia attributes her success to the lifelong friendships and formative experiences she received while at Palmer Trinity School. "e skills I learned at Palmer Trinity School matched well with the public relations and communications fields. [In a field like this] you have to constantly talk to sales reps, learn new technology, and learn new marketing skills to better market your brand. I loved being in the center of all of that faced-paced interaction." Stephanie having fun with fellow Palmer Trinity students. BMI is a health and life insurance agency that has received international recognition for being the first of its kind to offer medical insurance products to Latin American clients. It has local offices in several countries outside the U.S. including Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Its U.S. headquarters is located here in Miami, where Stephanie has flourished in her career for the past two years. And for Stephanie, BMI Companies is more than just a job, it's an extension of her family. "My grandfather first founded BMI in 1973, and I am the first member of the third generation of my family to work here. I'm responsible for all traditional, digital, and social media, as well as sponsorships. I also work directly with our international offices to ensure they are maintaining and enforcing all media strategies implemented in the headquarters." e social responsibility Stephanie learned while at Palmer Trinity has carried over to her career. Giving back to the community is an important value that Stephanie practices not only in her personal life, but also at her job. She's always looking for opportunities for BMI to give back to the community in ways they haven't before. Recently, BMI held an in-office fundraiser for the American Heart Association, allowing colleagues the opportunity to purchase and send roses to each other on Valentine's Day. And in April they will be a participating sponsor in the Mindo Futures Kickball Tournament, benefiting a medical mission in Mindo, Ecuador , hosted by her friend and fellow alumnus Michael Contreras '04. What motivates her to keep succeeding at work? e constant changes and innovations in technology and marketing. "When I was working on the CoverGirl account a few years ago, we were already exploring doing Blippar ads via Google Glass. Working in an industry that will never be mundane motivates me. One year I can be focused on marketing via Snapchat, but it's exciting to know that a few years from now the focus will likely be placed on something that hasn't even been created or invented yet. I love that." Her advice to current students looking to find what they're passionate about is simple. "Don't stress out to try and define yourself. You haven't finished growing; you never do. Life is an evolving cycle where you constantly grow and change and explore. Try out different things that take you out of your comfort zone and see how you feel. Figure out what you like and don't like. Don't limit yourself just because you think you need to act one way or another. Five years ago I thought people that went skydiving were insane. I recently went to try it out and I actually loved it! Who would have known?"

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