Alumni and Friends Making an Impact

As a UD student, Jerry Stoffl ’09 presented on the up-and-coming social media platform Twitter to his digital marketing class. Now he’s building digital strategies for multinational corporations at Adobe and connecting students to opportunities.

“My media passion started at UD. The world was changing — it was going to be big, and I wanted to be a part of the new wave of digital technology,” he said.

He wasn’t just riding the waves of the future; he also was building his future’s foundation. Stoffl participated in Flyer Enterprises and Red Scare, and the sense of community he gained through these UD experiences became the guiding light eventually leading him to Adobe.

“The cultures of UD and Adobe are so similar — they’re very collaborative and community-forward. It’s a group of individuals who want to get things done, and operate ethically and respectfully for everyone around them,” he said.

In addition to his position as a principal experience consultant at Adobe, Stoffl teaches digital marketing management to students in UD’s Master of Business Administration program and is a guest speaker in other UD business classes.

In the last two years, his encouragement and mentorship have helped two students land roles at Adobe.

Baylee Medvetz, a marketing and management senior, connected with Stoffl when he spoke in one of her classes and mentioned internship opportunities at Adobe. She completed a consulting internship with the Fortune 500 company during the summer and was one of 12 students nationwide in the group.

Medvetz recently accepted a full-time offer from the company after graduation.

“The internship was such a great opportunity,” she said. “If it wasn’t for Jerry coming to speak, I wouldn’t have known about it. Having alumni like him in the community is so great and helpful.”

“If it wasn’t for Jerry coming to speak, I wouldn’t have known about it. Having alumni like him in the community is so great and helpful.”

Colin Horey ’22 was a senior marketing student looking to find a job when he connected with Stoffl. Their conversation and Stoffl’s guidance helped Horey land a job in July 2022 in New York City helping Adobe’s customers find the right tools and solutions.

“Within the first five minutes, I could just see Jerry’s dedication toward University of Dayton students and his willingness to connect us to opportunities at Adobe,” Horey said of an introductory conversation he had with Stoffl. “He sold me on Adobe within five words.”

Stoffl, now 2-for-2 with UD placements in the company, is just warming up. In September, the trio hosted a virtual panel on working for Adobe with more than 70 UD students in attendance.

Ultimately, though, helping students is more than a task — it’s a responsibility Stoffl holds dearly.

“In my career, I’ve been helped by UD alumni,” Stoffl said. “Applying for a job before I worked at Adobe, I reached out to two alums who responded to me the same day and their insights were invaluable. Would I have landed the job without their help? Maybe, but it was great to have that extra layer of confidence knowing I had champions on my side.

“That crystallized in my mind that this is a cool thing, the UD community. I need to pay it forward in the ways others have helped me.”