Graduate Spotlight: Preman Rami

From Seattle to London, Preman Rami has taken his Seattle University education global.

Originally born in London, Rami and his family immigrated to Sammamish, Wash., when he was five years old. When Rami began looking for colleges, the Albers School of Business and Economics stood out.

“The small class sizes were the biggest contributor. You have the opportunity to be engaged and the professors will know your name,” Rami says. “My dad works in marketing, so I was interested in marketing but didn’t know what I wanted to do with it.”

In his first year at SU, Rami joined Alpha Kappa Psi, SU’s business fraternity, where he connected with Professor Mathew Isaac, PhD, who invited Rami to join his research.

“He introduced me to market research when I didn’t know what market research was,” Rami says.

With guidance from Isaac, Rami contributed to consumer psychology research by using Excel to organize, compare and analyze A/B testing results related to brand perception and consumer behavior. Rami also had opportunities to connect with local business leaders and apply classroom learning to real-world business questions.

“I met the Beecher’s Cheese CEO, Kurt Beecher Dammeier, and that was really cool. I was interviewing them about their marketing strategy,” Rami says. “Professor Isaac has been a great resource and hearing his perspective has really helped me. I’m taking one of his classes now and I’m happy it’s one of the last classes I get to take.”

Learn more about Preman in this video.

After Rami’s junior year, he experienced another side of business as an area manager intern at the Amazon Robotics Fulfillment Center in Tacoma. Through the internship, Rami learned about the operation of a fulfillment center and how businesses work on a larger scale. He supported operational improvement projects on the Amazon Robotics floor, helping identify workflow challenges and communicate findings to cross-functional teams.

“It taught me a lot about my own independent work and how to bring those skills to a team,” Rami said.

With one internship under his belt, Rami decided to pursue another, this time in his home city of London.  Working with SU’s Education Abroad office, Rami enrolled in a study abroad program that began with global business classes in Madrid and ended with a six-week internship in London. Rami’s internship was at More Can Happen (MCH), a marketing and advertising agency.

“Studying abroad is important to get perspective, especially with my global business minor. I wanted to be uncomfortable and see how I would grow from that,” Rami says. “In the internship, I learned the value of communication and partnership, since the team was based across Europe.”

One thing that stayed consistent from Seattle to Madrid to London was Rami’s love for soccer. A six-time intramural champion at SU, Rami made a point to play as much soccer abroad as possible, which was one of the highlights of his experience.

At SU, Rami has also served as one of 10 New Student Mentors, helping incoming first-time college students transition into Albers.

“I share my experience with them, about research, classes I enjoyed, my path ... We also do outreach to help prospective students get a better sense of what the SU experience is really like” Rami says. “A lot of people here have really cool experiences and Albers gives them a space to share those stories.”

After graduation, Rami plans to pursue a role in marketing, sales or partnerships, with an interest in go-to-marketing strategy and customer-facing work. To incoming students, Rami says, “Don’t be afraid to try. Even if you’re uncomfortable with something, try it. If you don’t try, you’ll never know.”

Some of Preman’s Favorites...

Favorite spot on campus: I like Logan Field. I like to be outdoors. Union Green is also beautiful on a nice day.

Favorite coffee shop or restaurant: I love Grainhouse, they serve the best sushi in town and do student discounts. Momiji happy hour, Bombay Burger and on 14^th a local coffee shop I really like is Porch Light.

Favorite music genre: I listen to R&B.

Favorite memories from SU: The third floor in Campion as a first-year was so lively. I’m still friends with most of them four years later. I’m really thankful I ended up on that floor and got to meet the people I did.