Alumni Spotlights
Leah Malliris Schlechter ’01
Full Name and Class Year: Leah
Malliris Schlechter ’01
Major at EC: Business Administration, Marketing and International Business
What have been the highlights of your life and career?
I have worked at Nike in Brand Marketing for the past three years on large events such as the Nike+ Human Race in both 2008 and 2009, the Nike+ and Running businesses, Global Football during the 2010 World Cup, and currently for the Athletic Training category on American Football. I earned my MBA with honors in Global Marketing from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Prior to Thunderbird, I worked at Nike for three years in Sports Marketing for College Basketball. In 2007, I married my husband, Scott Schlechter, in Portland, Oregon. In 2008, I launched a business called Alegre Brands, selling a product called Footgloss, all-natural foot prep marketed to women who love shoes - it helps make uncomfortable shoes wearable. Footgloss creates an invisible barrier between feet and shoes to minimize chafing that can lead to blisters. It is sold online (www.footgloss.com) and at select boutiques in Portland and Seattle.
Have you done any foreign travel?
I love to travel, especially to Latin America as I speak Spanish. I lived in Puebla, Mexico for two months taking Spanish immersion classes in 2002 and traveled much of the central and eastern part of the country. In 2007, I lived in Managua, Nicaragua for six months for my final term of graduate school as a visiting student at INCAE, the Central American business school. And this year, I lived in Buenos Aires for three months on a work assignment for Nike to support our World Cup effort.
What hobbies, activities, or community service are you involved in?
I am currently a board member of the Itafari Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving education and opportunity for women and children in Rwanda (www.itafari.org). Along with my love of travel and culture, some of my hobbies include hiking, cooking, and wine education.
What are your fondest memories of your days at Elmira College?
Some of my fondest memories at EC include playing on the volleyball team and improving our record every year, which helped to build a more successful program. The friendships I made with my teammates, other EC athletes, and friends I met in classes have also left a lasting impression with me.
Were you involved in any clubs, organizations, teams, or activities?
I played Varsity Volleyball, was on SAAB (the Student-Athlete Advisory Board), was a member of SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise), SOAR (Students Offering Assistance in Reading), the Diversity Club, PAL (Pupil-Assisted Learning), and I worked in the athletics department and fitness center.
Which class, club, activity, individual, organization or team do you believe best prepared you for your career?
My Marketing classes with Professor Tom Rutan and Economics class with Dr. Khawar really helped to prepare me for my career. Playing volleyball at the collegiate level was also very helpful in preparing me for a career at Nike where many people are current or former athletes. It is a team environment that is both collaborative and competitive. You have to know how to work within that type of culture. Playing team sports helps develop the skills to navigate that type of environment and also prepare you to work with and respect different types of people and value the contributions they make.
Did you take advantage of Elmira College’s Term III or Junior Year Abroad travel opportunities? If so, how did that experience affect you?
I enjoyed and took advantage of the opportunities offered during Term III which allowed me to take a different approach toward my education. To travel and see some parts of the state I would not have otherwise had a chance to see was particularly memorable – especially in my camping and art classes.
What advice would you give students about preparing for graduate school or careers?
Work for three to five years before going to grad school. You will gain experience that will help give you more of the context in classes and you will be a better contributor for your classmates and the program. It also gives you time to identify what you want to focus on when you go back to school so you make the best use of your time and money. It is also important to practice interviewing before you start school, because you will do a lot of it throughout your program.
Major at EC: Business Administration, Marketing and International Business
What have been the highlights of your life and career?
I have worked at Nike in Brand Marketing for the past three years on large events such as the Nike+ Human Race in both 2008 and 2009, the Nike+ and Running businesses, Global Football during the 2010 World Cup, and currently for the Athletic Training category on American Football. I earned my MBA with honors in Global Marketing from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Prior to Thunderbird, I worked at Nike for three years in Sports Marketing for College Basketball. In 2007, I married my husband, Scott Schlechter, in Portland, Oregon. In 2008, I launched a business called Alegre Brands, selling a product called Footgloss, all-natural foot prep marketed to women who love shoes - it helps make uncomfortable shoes wearable. Footgloss creates an invisible barrier between feet and shoes to minimize chafing that can lead to blisters. It is sold online (www.footgloss.com) and at select boutiques in Portland and Seattle.
Have you done any foreign travel?
I love to travel, especially to Latin America as I speak Spanish. I lived in Puebla, Mexico for two months taking Spanish immersion classes in 2002 and traveled much of the central and eastern part of the country. In 2007, I lived in Managua, Nicaragua for six months for my final term of graduate school as a visiting student at INCAE, the Central American business school. And this year, I lived in Buenos Aires for three months on a work assignment for Nike to support our World Cup effort.
What hobbies, activities, or community service are you involved in?
I am currently a board member of the Itafari Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving education and opportunity for women and children in Rwanda (www.itafari.org). Along with my love of travel and culture, some of my hobbies include hiking, cooking, and wine education.
What are your fondest memories of your days at Elmira College?
Some of my fondest memories at EC include playing on the volleyball team and improving our record every year, which helped to build a more successful program. The friendships I made with my teammates, other EC athletes, and friends I met in classes have also left a lasting impression with me.
Were you involved in any clubs, organizations, teams, or activities?
I played Varsity Volleyball, was on SAAB (the Student-Athlete Advisory Board), was a member of SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise), SOAR (Students Offering Assistance in Reading), the Diversity Club, PAL (Pupil-Assisted Learning), and I worked in the athletics department and fitness center.
Which class, club, activity, individual, organization or team do you believe best prepared you for your career?
My Marketing classes with Professor Tom Rutan and Economics class with Dr. Khawar really helped to prepare me for my career. Playing volleyball at the collegiate level was also very helpful in preparing me for a career at Nike where many people are current or former athletes. It is a team environment that is both collaborative and competitive. You have to know how to work within that type of culture. Playing team sports helps develop the skills to navigate that type of environment and also prepare you to work with and respect different types of people and value the contributions they make.
Did you take advantage of Elmira College’s Term III or Junior Year Abroad travel opportunities? If so, how did that experience affect you?
I enjoyed and took advantage of the opportunities offered during Term III which allowed me to take a different approach toward my education. To travel and see some parts of the state I would not have otherwise had a chance to see was particularly memorable – especially in my camping and art classes.
What advice would you give students about preparing for graduate school or careers?
Work for three to five years before going to grad school. You will gain experience that will help give you more of the context in classes and you will be a better contributor for your classmates and the program. It also gives you time to identify what you want to focus on when you go back to school so you make the best use of your time and money. It is also important to practice interviewing before you start school, because you will do a lot of it throughout your program.
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