madison travis headshot student employee of the year

Madison Travis, a junior marketing major, was honored with the UAH Student Employee of the Year Award. Madison was recognized for her hard work and dedication with the Invention to Innovation Center (I2C). Madison described it as a humbling experience: “Everything really came full circle for me. I’ve learned a lot through my internship so far, and it has given me the privilege to grow my network as well.”

Madison described her experience becoming an employee at UAH as an intimidating one. “I had to give my personal suggestions to fix the I2C’s social media strategy, as well as come up with a design for them during my interview process.” After she got the job, Madison’s position mostly consisted of administrative tasks as well as learning the ropes of marketing for the I2C. 

“As my role progressed, I began to take on running the podcast studio, making videos, and running the social media for the I2C.” Madison said her most important objective is to make sure information about the I2C is being presented in the right communities and targeting those the I2C wants to reach the most. 

Madison said that maintaining a school/work/life balance has been difficult for her. “This semester I took on some extra things, including a leadership position within my sorority as well as joining a Madison County commissioner campaign.” Madison says she found herself preferring work over her school responsibilities on multiple occasions., “Work was way more fun to me!” she joked. “Honestly though, I’d spend every single minute at the I2C if I could.” 

Madison recognizes the value of her education, and she says there have been multiple instances where her classes have correlated with her responsibilities at the I2C. She said her MKT 350 class, Marketing of Emerging Technologies, taught by Dr. Kevin Bao, has been very integral to her day-to-day tasks at the I2C. “Huntsville is a very high-tech area, and many of our businesses are focused on the evolvement and advancement of a wide variety of applied technologies.” 

The I2C has opened the door to many opportunities for Madison, as she’s recently developed a start-up of her own called Huntsville.IO, which is a Huntsville-focused digital marketing company that intends to help defense contractors execute successful marketing campaigns. Huntsville.IO also plans to incorporate the marketing campaigns of companies that operate outside of Huntsville but are looking to target Huntsville communities with their services. “I wouldn’t have my company today if it weren’t for the I2C,” Madison said. 

The best part of working with the College of Business according to Madison: “All of it! But I really have a deep appreciation for the connections I’ve built, and I just have the best boss ever. I truly love what I do here.” 

Madison has great advice to offer her fellow College of Business peers. “Take every opportunity that comes your way! The College of Business offers some great opportunities. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, and most of all, work hard!”

Congratulations to Madison on her stellar achievements so far! We are so excited to see where your skills, talents, and drive lead you.