Samantha Zingsheim couldn’t shake a feeling of uncertainty when she arrived on Marquette’s campus in the fall of 2020. A first-generation college student who had yet to declare a major, she was searching for a sense of direction — and a new normal — as the semester began at the peak of the pandemic.
Six years and two degrees later, the Marquette Business graduate has found her calling — and is the proud author of a peer-reviewed article in The American Economist.
“I didn’t originally plan to get a master’s degree,” recalls Zingsheim, who completed a Bachelor of Science in human resources management and services before pursuing applied economics at the graduate level. “I never even thought I would be a great student in college, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be cut out for it. I knew the only thing holding me back was a fear of failure.”
Her path began with a strong work ethic and open mind, which was on display even when her future was undetermined. As she eased her way into college life, Zingsheim first considered pursuing a degree in education. That desire faded, but her drive to find her passion did not. As a sophomore, a microeconomics class piqued her interest and started to form her future ambitions.
“Microeconomics resonated with me immediately,” Zingsheim says. “I understood the theories quickly, and I found it interesting how even the simplest concepts like supply and demand and market structures applied to all the other classes I took. To me, economics is the perfect intersection of social sciences and business functions, and noticing the theories at work in the world around me was like seeing the coursework come to life.”
Two years later, Zingsheim enrolled in an economics class taught by Dr. Nicholas Jolly, associate professor of economics. A casual conversation during office hours would chart the course for her remarkable path ahead: Jolly suggested she consider graduate school, and, most surprising to Zingsheim herself, she agreed.
“I am very passionate about the material, so I knew I had to try,” Zingsheim says. “Economics really does combine the head and the heart. Theoretical concepts are based in math and reason, but consumer behavior and research adds the human element. It begins to feel more like an art than a science, and that’s something I really enjoy.”
Before Zingsheim completed graduate enrollment, Jolly and Dr. Kathryn Wagner, chair and associate professor of economics, had applied for a grant through the Department of Justice to examine the relationship between involuntary job loss and violent gun crimes in Wisconsin. Once awarded, the grant set into motion the research opportunity that would define Zingsheim’s graduate experience.
“Kathryn and I hired Samantha as a research assistant when she was accepted into the MSAE program,” Jolly says. “Samantha assisted with work leading up to the start of the grant in July, and this allowed her to get a head start on skills and organizing research processes. She worked incredibly hard — when Samantha was on winter break later that year, she wrote the entire first draft of the manuscript.”
Zingsheim’s unwavering work ethic allowed the paper to go through each stage of the lengthy submission and review process in just three semesters, all while managing the coursework of a full-time graduate student.
“This is essentially the equivalent of an independent study,” Jolly says. “The fact that she worked hard enough to get this done in three semesters is really a feat. What started off as two faculty members supervising a student turned into a study by three co-authors, and we gave Samantha lead authorship. We asked her to go with us to the Wisconsin Economics Association to present the findings, too, which was an outstanding experiential learning opportunity for Samantha.”
Although Zingsheim says she dreamed of co-authoring a peer-reviewed article, she never imagined she would have lead authorship — an accomplishment realized thanks to the support of the Marquette Business master’s program. “There is a very strong culture of support for students at Marquette, and I think that is something to be appreciated and celebrated in academics,” Zingsheim says. “Accomplishments like this highlight the importance of graduate education. Programs like the MSAE graduate program are not only influential to students, but also to the people and places impacted by this important research.”
Zingsheim, Wagner and Jolly’s peer-reviewed article is available online. Learn more about Marquette’s MSAE program and explore the Graduate School of Management.
