The Launch Point: How Alum Sadie Briggs Turned Capstones Into Career Impact

Sadie Briggs always assumed her career would unfold step by step. Instead, it accelerated almost overnight. 

After moving from Chicago to her university in Colorado and loading her schedule with courses, Sadie received unexpected news during an advising meeting. In early spring of her junior year, Sadie’s advisor made a surprising declaration: she would graduate a year early. Three months later, Sadie had her degree in Public Relations and Communications in hand — at just 20 years old. “I thought, all right, let’s do it. But I had no idea what I wanted to do.”

But rather than seeing her early graduation as pressure, Sadie saw possibility. 

Back in Chicago, Sadie recognized that a graduate degree in marketing could up-level her skill set and round out her degrees with more technical knowledge. Several options were on the table, but the online Master of Digital Marketing program at Wake Forest School of Professional Studies checked every box. 

“We are in an age and time where people can be anywhere,” Sadie said. “I looked at programs all over, but I loved the flexibility of Wake Forest SPS, the online format, the backgrounds of the professors, and I liked the idea that it was new.” 

To Sadie, she felt drawn to a program she could potentially help shape with feedback and insights. And she made the leap in 2023. As she prepared for her first graduate class, Sadie wondered how she might be perceived because of her age and lack of experience.  

“I remember being very scared on my first day, as everyone was saying, ‘I’ve done this for 10 years’ or ‘This is my second master’s,” Sadie recalled. “And I was there and literally didn’t have a job yet after undergraduate.”  

That fear quickly shifted to a more confident perspective: “I learned age is a number, and this is a world of professionalism. As long as you can meet people where they’re at and stay curious, you’ll be okay.”

As she began meeting people, Sadie realized that the program was about more than learning concepts—it was about real people and building a professional community that went beyond credentials. Working across time zones with classmates who were parents, executives, and career-changers broadened her worldview. 

“It was fascinating to see how my life might look someday. We’d be texting at 6 AM or during lunch breaks, or after their kids were asleep. I had to learn how to adapt to so many working styles,” she reflected. 

A Deep Dive into Professional Experience

As Sadie dove into coursework, one piece of her future career started falling into place. During her undergraduate capstone course, Sadie studied the Chef Ann Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to replacing processed lunches in schools with nourishing, scratch-cooked meals. 

While still exploring graduate school options, Sadie received an invitation to intern in the fundraising office of the Chef Ann Foundation. Suddenly, Sadie was in both a Masters Program and working 20-25 hours per week in her first professional role. 

“Both organizations were so understanding,” Sadie said. “I took 2-3 classes per quarter, and it was essentially another part-time job. I dedicated 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, half to my work and half to my graduate courses and studying.” 

After six months, Chef Ann Foundation offered Sadie a full-time position. She worked full time while continuing the program, finishing in 18 months.

Today, as Annual Giving Coordinator, Sadie focuses on building relationships with people, partners, and corporations who want to support the mission of the Chef Ann Foundation. The work requires both creativity and analytical thinking, a balance she traces directly back to her coursework.

Projects That Matter 

Sadie was drawn to Wake Forest SPS because of the real-world professors and their experience in the world of digital marketing. For Sadie, Professor Ged King’s approach to class discussions reshaped her understanding of effective teaching. Instead of focusing on theory or simply lecturing, he treated students like capable contributors—challenging them to think critically, collaborate, and problem solve the way they would in the workplace.

“I took three classes with Professor King, and from day one, it felt more like a working environment than a classroom. I never felt like a student being graded,” she said. 

But his classes were not the exception; they were the standard. Across all courses, Sadie experienced the same kind of dynamic she had with supervisors at work: supportive and rooted in both trust. 

When capstone season arrived, Professor King assigned a digital marketing plan for a real-world client. After explaining the loss of a young family member to a pediatric brain tumor, Sadie suggested to her group, “Instead of trying to sell a product, what if we try to convince people to donate to an organization?” 

Sadie’s academic, professional, and personal experiences melded into a sense of true purpose. What evolved was a successful capstone project featuring ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation, including an interview with the CEO and increased awareness of a deeply worthy cause. 

The experience showed Sadie that digital marketing tools and skills can be applied to multiple facets of an organization: “I saw a connection between marketing and fundraising, which are two areas that can sometimes feel divided,” Sadie explained. “Now, I strive to bridge that gap in my work, because so many facets of what we studied can be applied to communication in fundraising.”

Growth in the Right Direction

Looking back, Sadie doesn’t measure her journey by how early it began, but by how intentionally she used the momentum. What once felt like an unexpected acceleration—graduating at 20, stepping into a master’s program without a full-time job— became the very launch point that shaped her career.

“I would tell anyone considering the program to take the chance,” she said. “These skills are transferable, and you’re going to make connections you’ll use for the rest of your life. Now, throw me somewhere, and I can figure it out.”

Learn more about the Master of Digital Marketing.