Catie Foley ’24, an Advertising and Brand Responsibility Master’s alum, dreamed of a job in sustainable marketing. Now her career is taking flight.
By Marcus Wilkins
When Catie Foley ’24 first visited the University of Oregon’s campus, she saw the forest for the trees. Quite literally, it was the Pacific Northwest’s verdant woods — contrasted with the dusty hills of her Northern California upbringing — that captured her imagination.
From a figurative standpoint, however, it was the varied “trees” — the breadth of experiences offered by the School of Journalism and Communication’s (SOJC) Advertising and Brand Responsibility Master’s program — that lifted her up.
“My projects at the SOJC taught me so much about sustainability and fashion,” Foley said. “And the professors always made you feel like, even though you’re their student, they are also your peers. At the University of Oregon, I always felt like I could really have open and honest conversations.”
Of course, the master’s degree wasn’t her end goal — it was a career launching pad. Foley combined her undergraduate experience in business analytics and media studies with a penchant for mathematics to propel her toward an internship in New York with luxury clothing giant Theory.
As the sustainable marketing intern, Foley helped champion the company’s dedication to using ethically sourced materials, reducing the impact of its mills and maintaining transparency, among other priorities. The hands-on corporate experience she gained helped bolster her résumé and solidify her personal commitment to sustainability.
“The internship provided me with a complete perspective of the fashion industry,” Foley said. “It’s very fast-paced — which I love — but it also gave me a broader interest in the relationships among sustainability, fashion and culture.”
Now she’s a growth and performance marketing analyst for Reformation, a Los Angeles-based women’s clothing and accessory company with a similar mission to “bring sustainable fashion to everyone” and to be “climate positive” by 2025.
Foley uses the skills she gained at UO to dive deep into the marketing data and help guide Reformation’s decision making. She credits SOJC professors including Christopher Chávez, Advertising and Brand Responsibility Master’s director and Carolyn Silva Chambers Distinguished Professor of Advertising, and Deb Morrison, distinguished professor of advertising and SOJC associate dean for undergraduate affairs, for imparting their wisdom and preparing her for the big time.
“Of course, every company needs to be able to sustain itself by surviving and profiting, but how do you do that while also protecting the world we live in?” Foley asked. “Every decision you make as a company comes down to, ‘Is this the right thing to do?’ ”
As global as Foley’s perspective is, it was UO’s clubs, organizations and extracurricular opportunities that made the institution feel more intimate and comfortable. A Tri Delta sorority member, she served as vice president of recruitment for the UO Panhellenic Council and worked in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. She also helped organize the Duck Dance Marathon, a fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network.
“Because of UO, and especially the master’s program, I have felt so much more prepared coming into my career,” Foley said. “I have way more confidence in myself, I’ve come to know who I am, and I have a personal connection and passion for this industry.”
Marcus Wilkins is a journalist and marketing writer with 20 years of experience in newspapers, magazines, digital copywriting and higher education communication. A University of Missouri alum, he most enjoys telling stories about people whose work changes lives and enriches communities.