Hi all! My name is Gabriella Marie (yes, Marie is a part of my first name. Most people call me Gabriella, Gab or if you’re special, Bella). I am a 21-year-old (finally!) marketing student at Rutgers University Newark, where I will graduate with a concentration in Business and Fashion in January 2018 (woo hoo!) I used to be a Finance major until I realized that Finance meant looking at numbers all day and I was much more interested in learning about people and the way they think— which is why you can now catch me in the Marketing department.
Why is Marie a part of your first name?
Having Marie as a part of your first name was a tradition that my Mema (Grandma) started. Her full name is Anna Marie and she decided to continue the tradition with the rest of her kids, which my mom then continued. We are ALL Maries – Anna Marie, Tina Marie, Ashley Marie, Carla Marie, Alyssa Marie, Crysta Marie, and the greatest of all, Gabriella Marie!
I was lucky enough to have been raised by two amazing people, my parents, Ray and Tina Marie, in the small town of North Arlington, NJ. When I was born, my parents were pretty young, so growing up they were not only my parents but my friends. They have always been very honest with my siblings and I and tried to teach us to learn from their mistakes instead of learning the hard way on our own. I was taught to always depend on myself and to work hard at everything I do. They taught me everything I know about life and helped mold me into the person I am today.
Like any other big Italian family, we are all very close. I have a twin sister, Alyssa Marie, and a baby sister, Crysta Marie. Crysta is 14 years old and a freshman in high school, which basically makes her the devil reincarnated, but I love her anyway. Although Alyssa and I are twins, we are nothing alike, down to the fact that she is a lefty and I am a righty. Even though we are so different, we have always been very close and I know that no matter where life takes me, I will always have someone rooting me on. Next are my two “big sisters,” or my aunts Ashley Marie and Carla Marie. They are only five and eight years older than me so we grew up together. There is plenty more where that came from, but I’m sure you get the gist.
What do you like to do?
Like any other 21-year-old, I love to hang out with my friends and let loose on the weekends. I grew up and have stayed friends with the same group of girls since I was about five years old. We are all very close and like to spend time together. If I am not with my friends, I am probably watching Netflix or reading a good book. As I get older, I can’t wait to be able to travel and see the world!
Something I have always had a passion for is animals. Not only am I totally in love with my two dogs, Buddy and Sandy, but I also have a cat nephew named Kodi and I have raised and fostered two baby kittens. Fostering was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, taking a little baby kitten from 2 days old and watching it grow to 8 weeks is incredible.
How did you end up here?
When I was applying for internships, I found DSM by simply searching in Google “Marketing agencies in New Jersey”. After completely stalking their website, I realized that not only did I love the culture of DSM, but that they were a family that I wanted to be a part of. Everyone who works here has been so welcoming and open to teaching me. I am grateful to be a part of this amazing team and I am looking forward to the rest of my DSM journey.
