From Ad Pro to Ad Prof -- One BICster's Journey

by Rebecca Rivera BIC '19

For thirty years I worked as a copywriter and Creative Director at agencies like rpa, ddb, Digitas, TBWA, Deutsch, AKQA, and more. I brought glory on my agencies and rang up sales for clients. I led by example – proving latina women can compete (and win) in the big leagues.


As the CCO of 3 Percent, I partnered with U.S. agencies big and small to brainstorm how to change the way they do business – starting with hiring diverse and inclusive talent that more fully represents the people being marketed to.

In the end, I decided the best way to change advertising wasn’t by working within the industry but by better preparing the young people entering it.

So I went back to school to get a master’s. Not just any master’s. A BIC master’s.


The Branding + Integrated Communications program was the only program I seriously considered – for three reasons: the faculty are all industry pros, the student body is among the most diverse in the nation, and BIC is the only integrated program that requires every student to learn all of the puzzle pieces and how they work together.

Where better to deconstruct the industry and how it’s taught? Thanks to BIC, I now have a deeper understanding of how research, strategy, management, technology, media, and creative all have a role to play in creating meaningful communication that adds value – for the brand, the consumer, and society.


These days I’m sharing all I learned with my students. I teach copywriting and media studies at City College as well as at City Tech (NYCCT). I also mentor my students to help them land internships and jobs and enter competitions like the One Club’s Young Ones.


If you’re a seasoned ad pro who’d like to teach one day, my advice is: get a BIC Master’s of Professional Studies. Then combine the knowledge you gain from BIC with what you learned in the trenches. Go from ad pro to ad prof. Do it for the good of the industry and for us all.