My name is Mazhar Jilani, and this is the story of how I got here…
Growing up, I had the privilege of living in three countries on three different continents. I was born in India and moved to Belize at the age of six. After about three years of living in the South American paradise, my family and I moved to Dallas. The stark contrast between the cultures of all three countries has taught me how to handle adversity more than anything else.
I am currently double majoring in advertising and communications studies at the University of North Texas. My freshman year of college I had little to no idea about what major I would pursue. My father had always encouraged me to get in the medical field…go figure, but after taking my first couple of biology and chemistry courses, I realized the field was far from anything that interested me. I subsequently changed my major to communications studies my second year at UNT but was left wondering what career path I would follow.
As a child, I always found myself drawing or working on craft projects with my older brother. I remember thinking to myself how amazing it would be to create art for a living. Advertising allows me to do just that, but I had never thought of it as a career choice growing up. It wasn’t until a friend invited me to join her for an Ad Club meeting at school that I learned just what the industry is about. The guest speaker at the meeting was freelance Creative Director, Glenn Gill. His story inspired and captivated me, and in that moment, I realized the career path I would embark on.
I began attending Ad Club meetings regularly and added advertising as my second major the following semester. As an Ad Club member I also had the opportunity to go on agency tours, and as it turned out, Agency Entourage was one of the first agencies I visited. The culture and lifestyle instantly won me over, and I made it a goal to apply for their summer internship program.
Now that I’m here, I am as confident as ever that I made the right choice. My fellow interns and co-workers have been a delight to work with, and I can’t wait to see what the future brings. I firmly believe this internship is the perfect fit for anyone looking to gain valuable, hands-on experience in the industry.
