Blog It Forward – Marissa Wheaton

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I was not mentioned in a blog for the BIF challenge, but we will pretend that my colleague Matthias Wild has nominated me (read his blog here). So, thanks, Matthias! Let’s #BIF 😎

Nice to meet you

I am Marissa, 24 years old, and have been with SAP for just over 2 years. I learned about the company when my friend from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Kelsey Wanas was hired. At Rutgers, I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (major in Communication, minors in Digital Communication, Information, & Media Studies, and Sociology) in 2012. I held multiple positions in school, including working as a “taste tester” (feel free to ask questions) and a founder, Public Relations chairman for Phi Sigma Sigma – Gamma Nu chapter. After driving back and forth to 3 separate interviews, I was selected for an internship! Reality hit and I had to move myself to what seemed like the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania.

(Photo credit: Oliver Lauer @mobinauten)

After 6 months, I joined my current IT Business Development/SAP Runs SAP team 😘 . You can catch me tweeting #SAPRunsSAP, so stayed tuned for updates. I honestly had no idea I would ever end up in a massive, global corporation in the tech industry, but I am so happy that I did.

Roots

I am from a small town, Florham Park, just outside of New York City. If there is one piece of advice to give you, do not wear a Yankees baseball hat anywhere near Philly. I have lived in the United States my whole life, except when overseas in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. My father worked for Exxon/Esso (now ExxonMobil), so we went on a business trip… and did not come back for 3 years.

(Wearing International School of Kuala Lumpur uniform)

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I spent my childhood bouncing back between the northern Virginia/DC area and NJ when we returned to the States. Now, I live a short drive from the SAP Headquarters in Newtown Square, PA. Last winter, I had the amazing opportunity to visit Taiwan to reunite with family and see where my mother grew up before immigrating to the U.S. 35 years ago.

(Kaohsiung, Taiwan)

Through it all, I am a “Jersey girl”! Whenever I travel, I spot SAP logos and have not felt a greater sense of pride and excitement when I realize SAP is everywhere, making the world run better. My next stop (and dream come true) would be London, England.

Tidbits

If you were 20 again, what would you study and why?
- I actually tried Food Science when I was 20. I am a hardcore “Foodie”, and Food Science is a practical way to incorporate the love of food into a discipline. Computer Science would also be a great choice. I have learned the importance of technical skills, especially for females in the industry. After meeting a myriad of impressive women from the Business Women’s Network in NSQ and those within internal IT at SAP, I would encourage any of my friends and family to keep an open mind about the field.
What was the most fun project you ever participated in and why?
- I love managing the social media for SAP Runs SAP and sharing the story of how we use our own internal experience to help customers through their SAP journeys, especially for events like SAPPHIRE NOW and the new SAP TechEd && d-code: A new logo, a new hashtag (#SAPtd), and more…. BUT, the absolute most fun project was working on the Corporate Social Responsibility team for the 2013 “Month of Service”. To be able to contribute to a philanthropic initiative and know that we are impacting the community in a positive way is always a good feeling. This is very important to me, so all that SAP does in this aspect is awesome. Check out this video on SAP & KaBOOM! Playground build at KIPP Charter School.

What do you most enjoy on SCN?
- On SCN, I love seeing people sharing their experiences and amazing wealth of knowledge. There are so many intelligent, wonderful, and respectable people who are all somehow involved with SAP (shout out to the SAP Runs SAP Tweeters and bloggers).

Share a story about yourself that people don’t know
- My eyes started turning blue when I was roughly 10 years old… somehow a result of being American (with Euro descent) and Taiwanese. Maybe SAP has a solution on genetics 😕

How do you think the way you were raised affects your career?
- Both of my parents achieved their own versions of the “American Dream”. They found success in their careers by going after what they desired, working hard, long hours, trying new things or things they did not necessarily want to do, but had to do. They instilled this mentality in me and my older brother. Even at an age when you normally start planning retirement, my mother just passed her Series 63 exam as a “back up plan”. I have a diverse, non-traditional family, and growing up within different cultures has had an impact on my attitude towards myself and other people. I know SAP is a place where I can realize and actualize goals and ultimately achieve my Dream.

Blog It Forward

I hope anyone who reads this, whether or not I know you personally, enjoys learning a bit more about a fellow SAP-er. I would like to nominate Rahel Herczeg and Charlotte Otter, my SAP Runs SAP colleagues in Germany, and anyone else who would like to #BIF. For your blogs, you can answer the above questions. Also, if anyone is interested in learning about SAP Runs SAP, or has their own story to share, please connect with me! Have fun 😆

Be sure to bookmark and follow the Blog It Forward Chain in order to be updated as new people and topics join “Blog It Forward”. Feel free to share any thoughts in the comments below, follow me on SCN, & on Twitter @MarissaWheaton