Granular Mentorship Unfiltered: 2024–2025 Cohort
For the second year, we welcomed a group of local college students into our Mentorship Program—a low-pressure, high-impact way to explore the world of digital marketing.
The idea behind the program is simple: connect with the next generation of marketers, give them a behind-the-scenes look at our work, share the culture we’re building and show them why digital marketing is an exciting career path!
This year, we had the pleasure of working with seven awesome students who brought curiosity, energy, and plenty of great questions:
- Connor Lom | UW–Madison
- Caleb Lollis | UW–Milwaukee
- Nina Donlin | UW–Madison
- Erika Rosberg | Lakeland University
- Savannah Islam | UW Madison
- Carly Bowen | UW–Madison
- Jordan Cargiulo | MATC
At the end of the program, we passed the mic to them. We wanted to know everything—what they learned, what surprised them, and who they think would thrive in this kind of experience.
Cue the Law & Order theme music (because… why not?).
Here are their stories.
What was your favorite aspect of the Mentorship?
“My favorite aspect of the mentorship program was the overall guidance that I received from my mentor, Chris. It felt like I had a true friend and someone who cared about my future and my worries during this period of my life. He has helped me get new connections and grow towards a professional path I am excited to enter in the near future.”
– Connor
“I liked how it was a one on one relationship with my mentor and during the sessions there was flexibility if I had any questions or if there were other topics I wanted to explore.”
– Carly
“My favorite aspect of the mentorship was how the assignments we did built off each other and gave us something to work on as if we were working for Granular. I also liked how we worked with one person for the whole program, I really enjoyed building a relationship with my mentor and being able to ask her for advice.”
– Savannah
How has your participation in the mentorship program impacted your personal or professional development?
“I gained a better understanding of how paid media plays an essential role in marketing.”
– Nina
“Participating in the mentorship program has had a meaningful impact on both my personal and professional growth. It helped me develop stronger communication skills, set clearer goals, and approach feedback with a growth mindset. My mentor’s guidance also pushed me to step outside my comfort zone and take more initiative, which has boosted my confidence and made me more intentional in my work. Overall, the experience has shaped how I handle challenges and pursue growth in and out of the workplace.”
– Erika
Did the mentorship program provide you with any unexpected insights or opportunities?
“Yes, I was able to land a job I wanted due to Sarah (my mentor) being a reference.”
– Nina
“Learning about different information sources to keep up to date with trends in the industry was insightful to me.”
– Jordan
“This mentorship was able to provide me with insight into what I would like to do in my future career. I also had the opportunity to have a mentor whom I was able to interview for one of my semester-long projects in college, and was given very helpful insights into the marketing world.”
– Savannah
“It provided a lot of good insights to how digital marketing works.”
– Caleb
What’s the most important thing you learned from the mentorship program?
“I think the most important thing I learned from the program was going over different interview strategies. Interviewing has always been a weak point for me, and having someone in the industry to give me advice was very helpful.”
– Jordan
“It’s not what you know, but who you know. I’ve already mentioned this above but I think it is so critical. It was always hard for me to accept this truth since there is almost nothing more I dislike than putting myself out there to meet new people.”
– Connor
Who would you recommend to participate in the mentorship?
“I would recommend that people who are interested in learning more about campaigns and digital advertising would really benefit from this mentorship. People who also don’t know what they would get into within marketing would benefit from this as well.”
– Savannah
“I would recommend students first and foremost. The amount of guidance and real-world business applications in the program is critical to understanding the stuff we merely read about in school. I also think that everyone, no matter their age, could benefit from the program. You are learning new business skills, but at the same time, you are also learning development and life skills too. Everything ranging from interview prep to how to interact with other business professionals.”
– Connor
Alright, we’re taking the mic back.
You’ve heard their stories, and now you might be wondering… who’s actually eligible to join a program this amazing?
Here’s the deal: We don’t have strict requirements around majors or GPAs. What we are looking for is simple, local college students who are juniors or seniors, eager to learn what digital marketing is all about, and excited to connect with (arguably) some of the coolest marketers in the game.
Sound like you? Our next cohort will run October 2025 – April 2026.
Questions about Granular?
If you have any questions or are interested in having Granular help grow your business, please use the button below to get in touch!
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