Saddler Emory interviewed Bobbi Bukovac, a senior at the University of North Alabama. 

Bukovac’s major is in Marketing with a Sales Concentration and she is a part of UNA’s Sales Team that travels across the country. She is also a member of Phi Mu Theta Alpha, Captain of the Steele Elite Sales Team, President of Women in Business, Executive V.P. of the American Marketing Association, Ambassador for the College of Business and Technology, and was also one of this year’s Promising Alumni Bobbi is expected the graduate in May 2022. 

Emory: What drew you to sales and marketing?  

Bukovac: Ever since I was little I wanted to be in business. I found a school journal from when I was so young that asked “what do you want to be when you grow up” and I wrote that I wanted to be a businesswoman and work in Japan. I even started practicing Japanese, but soon gave up on that! I even used to sell my sisters tickets so they could come into my room! 

Emory: What are your plans for your future career? 

Bukovac: Short term get an entry-level sales job, longterm I’d want to be a sales manager or an account manager. And then from there who knows!

Emory: Over your time here at UNA what has been your proudest accomplishment? 

Bukovac: Probably either Promising Alumni or being Captian of the Sales Team. If someone had told me freshman year that I was going to get it [Promising Alumni] I would’ve been like heck no. I still can’t believe I got that. I’m also really proud of being the Captain of the Sales Team because when I first started I was terrible!  After every competition, I called my mom and cried but that just made me work harder and now I am the youngest sole female Captain in UNA history. 

Emory: Are you more excited or anxious about what the future has to offer?

Bukovac: I would say I’m anxiously excited. You know I can’t really give a straight answer because we’re all scared of the unknown. I’m anxious because I don’t know what the future looks like, but I’m also excited because I don’t know what the future looks like. It’s kinda a double-edged sword. 

Emory: I know you’re a huge fan of The Office, what is your favorite episode, or if that is too hard, who is your favorite character? 

Bukovac: Of course it’s Michael Scott. I actually learned things from him about sales, because he actually is a good salesman, he knows people and that means that he knows exactly how they’ll react in certain situations. 

Emory: If you could give your past self some advice what would it be and why? 

Bukovac: I don’t think I would give my past self any advice because you know everything that I’ve done has brought me to a good place. I would say be less nervous but I think nerves drove me to be better. All the times I failed or was nervous it made me a better person.