Lu MacKenzie (McIntire '25)

Why Promotions?

The opportunity Promotions provides to bond with other students in the last year of college is so unique, and the Promo identity is clearly everlasting post graduation. Getting to be part of this creative, diligent, and close-knit community is the main reason I admire the program.

Relevant work experience?

I have worked as a Marketer for various organizations, including a startup in New York City, my local Democratic Committee, and UVA’s Fralin Museum of Art. I spent the first three weeks of this summer teaching an in-depth digital marketing course for a nonprofit called Forge. I then transitioned to my role as an Investor Relations Intern at a private equity firm (which I consider a fusion of my two interests: finance and marketing).

Relevant skill set?

Passionate about finance, marketing, and art history classes alike, I have always valued balance in my academic pursuits. I am constantly eager to learn new skills, whether they are more quantitative or qualitative in nature. This has made me flexible to different work environments and challenges, as I can adapt to various tasks and collaborate effectively with diverse teams.

Extracurricular activities?

At UVA, I am involved in the Student Engagement Council at the Fralin, where I strive to boost traffic to the museum. I also spend a lot of my time writing, having published in V Magazine and on the Madayin website (a traveling aboriginal art exhibition). In my free time, I love to crochet, run, and play pickleball!

Career aspiration?

I hope to never stop learning in the future. I aspire to work in a field and for a company that is constantly innovating and pushing me to think differently. Down the road, I may even consider going back to school for a higher degree! But for now, I look forward to starting my career journey off somewhere dynamic and challenging, where I can apply my marketing and finance skills, contribute to meaningful projects, and grow both professionally and personally.

Course recommendations?

As someone who is passionate about art history, I would highly recommend taking an Art History Colloquium. The course gives you the opportunity to dive into a very niche topic (the one I took was all about Degas), and it is extremely rewarding to get to know an artist or genre so comprehensively.

If I could live as someone else for the day, it would be ________.

Taylor Swift

Fun fact:

While visiting Malta, I swam in an underwater cave full of jellyfish!