Hazel Hill ‘26 is graduating in January after majoring in marketing and minoring in project management. Throughout her time at UHart and the Barney School of Business, Hazel has built a strong foundation in marketing, strategy, leadership, and entrepreneurship, shaped by hands-on learning, purposeful mentorship, and a drive to keep challenging herself.
Hazel chose to pursue marketing after realizing she was drawn to the unique blend of business, economics, creativity, and behavioral science. She views marketing as a “creative science” and a field that allows her to think strategically while staying imaginative and curious. The discipline’s wide reach across industries and business functions inspired her to pursue a path that keeps her learning and exploring new ideas.
What Hazel values most about UHart is the variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. Through hands-on projects, applied learning, and meaningful conversations with students, faculty, and mentors, she has strengthened her confidence and discovered her professional direction. These experiences have helped her develop into an adaptable, analytical thinker ready to take on real-world challenges.
Hazel attributes her curiosity, problem-solving mindset, and love for learning to her parents, who taught her to think critically and always ask “why.” Her educational foundation began at Reggio Magnet School of the Arts, where Montessori-based learning nurtured her creativity and independence, and continued at Farmington High School, where courses like AP Language helped prepare her for college-level communication and writing.
Hazel’s time at the Barney School has been defined by impactful, real-world learning experiences, including:
- Integrated Marketing Communications (instructed by Brian Jud): Her team’s work with Bill Selig Jewelers in Simsbury led to a summer 2025 marketing internship, where she helped implement the group’s strategic recommendations.
- Digital Marketing (taught by Hyungjung Lee): She developed skills in website design and built her professional portfolio at hazelhill.net.
- Business Plan Competition (led by Aydin Oksoy): Hazel earned third place, a milestone that strengthened her confidence in entrepreneurship and expanded her vision of what she could achieve.
These opportunities helped Hazel identify her strengths and fueled her aspirations in marketing and strategic business development.
Hazel credits much of her growth to the guidance and support of UHart faculty and programs, including:
- Academic advisor Vicky Luo, who encouraged her to pursue project management as a minor.
- Professors Carmina Cavazos, Hyungjung Lee, and Aydin Oksoy, who supported her goals in and out of the classroom.
- The Women’s Advancement Initiative’s LEAD program, which strengthened her leadership skills and connected her with women business professionals.
- The Dorothy Goodwin Scholars Program, where Hazel created her project, Create Yourself to Be Yourself, sparking a future book on personal growth and confidence.
- Her role as business team lead for the FSAE Racing Team, where she collaborated with engineering students on sponsorships, budgeting, and coordination—an experience that sharpened her project management and cross-disciplinary communication skills.
Outside of academics, Hazel enjoys lifting weights, drawing, spending time outdoors, and brainstorming business ideas, often sketching on her whiteboards. Family is a core part of her life, and she dedicates much of her free time to her younger siblings. After graduation, Hazel plans to enter the job market while continuing to build toward her long-term goal of becoming a business owner. With a strong foundation in project management, she approaches her development with intention, mapping out learning pathways and seeking opportunities that deepen her skills in marketing, strategy, and entrepreneurship.
With a powerful combination of academic preparation, real-world experience, and unwavering support from family and mentors, Hazel is well-positioned to enter the marketing field and continue building toward her future as a strategist, innovator, and entrepreneur.