By Emily Windram, Special to the Chronicle

The world of marketing can seem overwhelming at times, but there’s no better way to dive in than to join Hofstra’s American Marketing Association. As one of the most accessible and rewarding pre-professional organizations on campus, it allows students to immerse themselves in the marketing world. It often results in important networking and eventual internships.

HAMA is open to everyone and always welcomes new members. Meetings are held every other Wednesday during common hour, and are attended by students of all different grades and majors. Various guest speakers such as alumni, Career Center members and marketing moguls regularly come to meetings to give informative speeches. During meetings, the club members are also informed of internships and extra classes that can be beneficial and add some valuable experience to their résumés.

HAMA is passionate about its work and is always looking for new ways to expand itself. From teaming up for charity events such as “She’s The First,” a campaign which raises funds to educate women in Third World countries, to hosting conferences on Hofstra’s campus, there is never a dull moment.

The organization is unique in that it manages to do so much off-campus as well as on-campus. This is crucial in helping students gain real-life experience and interact with the right people. The club attends intercollegiate conferences in places like New Orleans, and it hosts annual networking dinners in New York City’s metropolitan area, which allows students to truly connect with important business figures. HAMA regularly places highly in the American Marketing Association’s annual case competition, which allows students to have hands-on experience in solving real-world problems in businesses that vary from UNICEF to Nintendo.

The club seems tempting enough because of its many career advantages, but member Briana Garcia says her favorite aspect of the club is the people. “The members really are passionate about what they do, and we’re all very dedicated. We stick together and we bounce off each other’s new ideas.”

HAMA is both fun and challenging. The club manages to do something every college kid wants to achieve: it helps students become truly prepared for the future.