McKinley: Day in My Life as a College Senior

NAU Diaries: Wednesday edition (mostly South campus)

By: McKinley Burnett, NAU Senior, Marketing Major

A Day in My Life | Wednesday Edition

Good morning! It’s Wednesday, and here’s a little peek into my day.

I start every morning with a shower, followed by breakfast — chicken apple sausage sautéed with spinach, white rice, and nutritional yeast. Of course, no morning is complete without my homemade matcha.

Next up: office hours for NAU Social Media where I’m currently in year three of my internship! Offices hours is the time when our team comes together to brainstorm, film, edit, and bring creative ideas to life.

These dedicated sessions are where the magic happens — collaborating, refining content, and making sure everything we put out represents NAU in the best way possible.

Wednesdays are all about filming our new Discover NAU series that launched during spring semester. Through these videos we get to showcase different spots around campus!

Today, we focused on interviews for a Flagstaff outdoors-themed video.

After lunch — homemade Chipotle bowls today — I take some time to knock out homework.

Then I head to my MKT 494 Strategic Marketing class with Len Hostetter. This class is a mix of lecture and hands-on work.

We’re currently developing marketing strategies for Mother Road Brewing Company. It’s been an incredible experience collaborating with a real client and applying what we’ve learned in a practical, real-world setting.

Fun fact: Mother Road Founder/CEO Michael Marquess is an NAU alum and Hotel and Restaurant Management grad. He not only hosts lectures but collabs with NAU too!

From there, I head straight to my MKT 435 Sales Strategy and Technology class with Todd Johnson at 4 p.m. This course dives into the role of technology in sales, covering everything from streamlining processes to leveraging Salesforce — a valuable skill for anyone pursuing a career in sales after graduation.

Once I’m home, it’s time for dinner — tonight’s choice: a tamale — before heading to hot yoga at The Foundry.

On the way back, I made a quick Whole Foods stop for some much-needed chocolate.

After a post-yoga shower, I finish up some work then I wind down by journaling/reading, having some tea, then luckily switching off the lights at 10 PM.

That’s a wrap on my Wednesday!