Meet Chris Secunda ’23! Chris is a spring 2023 graduate with a major in Business Administration with a Marketing emphasis and a minor in Psychology. Chris has also been an active member of the Chapman Marketing Association and Active Minds Club on campus. Throughout his educational experience at Chapman, Secunda interned at Fidelity Investments, Zevia, and was the Lead Marketing Strategist for the Argyros MBA Program.
Chris chose Chapman and the Argyros School because of the credible professors who teach here and the knowledge of their industries that helps to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world applications.

Goals Coming into Chapman

Secunda’s goals coming into Chapman were to were to become more outgoing, network with like-minded people, and get out of my comfort zone. “Overall, I had a desire to grow as a person,” says Secunda. “It sounds great on paper, but it was so uncomfortable at the same time.” He says that you have to “learn to fall in love with the process.”

Looking back on it, Chris would say that he has accomplished many goals in college, but the biggest takeaway is a better idea of what is important to him in his life. For example, as a freshman, Chris had a goal to make as many friends as possible. That goal soon changed to having quality friends rather than trying to know everyone. “Once I figured out who I wanted to be, I started to develop amazing friendships much quicker. My advice here is to not overthink it and just go with the flow,” he says.

Favorite Classes & Professors

Chris’s favorite class was Leadership 310 with Dr. Gregory Warren. He says that “the class helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses, as well as craft a personal vision for your future. You also get very close to people in class and oftentimes, foster new friendships with the teams you work with.” Chris firmly believes that everyone should take his class if their schedule allows it.
Apart from Management of Organizations and Leadership 310, Chris enjoyed Consumer Behavior with Dr. Coskuner-Balli. “Her class taught me invaluable skills about the marketing process and was the perfect dichotomy between consumer psychology and selling a product,” said Secunda. “Definitely take her if your goal is to learn the process behind why you love your favorite products.”
Additionally, Chris says that Professor Christopher Pagel has easily been one of the best professors he could have ever asked for. He goes on to say, “When I took MGMT 316 with him, I learned the importance of good leadership and how to practically apply his teachings to my own life as well as my professional career. I cannot recommend him enough to any student who may need guidance on anything. Chris has been one of the hallmarks of my Chapman experience.”

Advice for Incoming First-Year Students

“The best advice I can give to incoming freshmen is that college is a time to find what you like, who you like, and who you are. Find a mentor, whether that be a student you look up to, a professor, or anyone you want to learn from,” says Secunda. He urges first-year students to consider getting involved in extracurriculars and putting themselves out there so that they might build confidence in ways that will help every facet of their life.
He says “Don’t overthink too much and have as much fun as you can. If you’re new to California like I was, explore new areas with your friends, go to LA, and just have fun while doing it.”
Overall, I had a desire to grow as a person. It sounds great on paper, but it was so uncomfortable at the same time. You have to learn to fall in love with the process. I would say I have accomplished many goals in college, but what I have taken away from it is a better idea of what is important to me in life. For example, as a freshman, my goal was to make as many friends as possible, but my goal changed to having quality friends rather than trying to know everyone. Once I figured out who I wanted to be, I started to develop amazing friendships much quicker. This may be different depending on who you are, but my advice here is to not overthink it and just go with the flow.
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A Note from Chris: “It takes around 20 hours to become good at something, but it takes people years to start the first hour. Whatever you want to do, don’t overthink, just start.”
Chris wants to thank everyone who made his Chapman experience memorable and says that he can’t wait to see how the Class of 2023 will make an impact on the world.
Congratulations, Chris! We couldn’t be more proud to feature such an amazing soon-to-be Chapman alum.