JTC 26: A Winding Path to a Clear Calling

Adriane Arinder arrived at the University of Mississippi planning to study pharmacy. The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College member leaves in May with a degree in integrated marketing communications, a place in Vanderbilt University’s marketing graduate program and a clearer sense of purpose than she ever expected to find on a path that looked nothing like her plans. 

She found that purpose, in part, on a road trip through the Mississippi Delta with a journalism class during her junior year. 

“The people who live in these rural communities remind me a lot of my own neighbors,” Arinder said. “They’re all wonderful and they desperately need support.” 

It was the kind of connection she had been searching for since she arrived in Oxford, one that tied her roots in her hometown of Columbia to something larger than herself and pointed her toward the work she wanted to do. 

At Columbia High School, Arinder held many titles: president of two service organizations; yearbook editor-in-chief, newspaper columnist and editor, Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” Sandy in “Grease” and Grace in “Annie.” She was also an accomplished scholar, recognized with many awards by the time she graduated in 2022.  

For two years, she even worked as a s’mores kit saleswoman, an elf and a train conductor at downtown Columbia’s seasonal Christmas celebrations.  

With stability and a steady income in mind, Arinder prepared to attend UM, where she planned to major in pharmacy and dreamt of nurturing her soprano talent through the University Chorus.  

Leading up to her high school graduation and into the summer before moving to Ole Miss, Arinder experienced an event that would shape everything that followed.  

Her dad, Scott, suffered a series of five strokes, eventually being diagnosed with Broca’s aphasia and becoming mostly wheelchair-bound with limited speech.  

The youngest of five children, with four older brothers, Arinder stepped up to help her family navigate what came next. Despite the crushing setback, she has remained hopeful that her dad can make some kind of recovery. He has retained his ability to articulate certain words and can communicate practical needs by gesturing. 

Before her dad’s illness, Arinder knew that she needed to secure scholarships for college because any remaining balance would be her responsibility. She explored in-state options, and Ole Miss offered her more, academically, financially and even visually, than other Mississippi schools.  

The Honors College appealed to her preference for small class sizes and the challenge of completing an honors capstone. 

She changed her major from pharmacy to IMC. The Mississippi Scholastic Press Association awarded her its Beth Fitts Scholarship, and she also received a few merit-based scholarships.  

A class with Mark Dolan, associate professor of journalism, took Arinder to the Delta, where she sensed an invisible thread back to her home. 

“(The course) taught me so much about myself, Mississippi and how to appreciate where I’ve grown up,” she said. “Dr. Dolan is a great professor, and I have so much love for him.  

“I remember how he went out of his way to buy books about Mississippi history to give to me after class one day.” 

During her undergraduate career, Arinder has worked as a brand ambassador for two companies, a marketing intern and an ESPN "College GameDay" intern. One summer, she worked at The Lucky Rabbit, an antique store in downtown Hattiesburg, so she could help care for her dad.  

For nearly three years, she has worked at the front desk of the School of Journalism and New Media. She loves the interactions she shares with faculty, staff and students.  

Marquita Smith, associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of media communication, called Arinder “resilient and inspiring.” Arinder’s work ethic and nimble abilities in and outside the classroom are valued by Smith and her colleagues.  

“Adriane is an emerging voice in (IMC) whose thoughtfulness and resilience set her apart,” Smith said. “As an undergraduate student, she brings both creativity and intention to her work, demonstrating a strong understanding of how to connect messages with audiences in meaningful ways.  

“Adriane approaches each opportunity with purpose, balancing strategic thinking with a genuine desire to inspire and uplift others. I will miss her.” 

Helping her family navigate her dad’s recovery planted an early seed about law school, and going into her senior year, Arinder had a solid LSAT score and intentions of applying. She knew she could do well in law school, but she did not feel excited or confident in her next steps. 

About halfway through last fall, Arinder felt a shift during her IMC 455 course with Chris Sparks, instructional associate professor of IMC.  

The final project, a campaign for a golf product that provides wrist support, required weeks of preparation. Arinder and her group had a rocky start. Determined to finish strong, she became campaign director of her group, taking on administrative responsibilities along with leading creative brainstorming sessions.  

The group’s dynamic transformed under her leadership, and the team delivered a thorough marketing plan and presentation that won best overall campaign in the class.  

“Our final campaign took a wellness-focused approach influenced partly by my familiarity with physical therapy tools from my dad’s ongoing recovery efforts,” she said. “Viewing the product ‘as more than a golf accessory’ led to a more inclusive and human-centered campaign.”  

After talking with mentors and researching her options, Arinder made a pivot that finally felt right. She sees integrated marketing communications as strategic, data-informed storytelling grounded in human understanding.  

“I am especially interested in roles such as marketing strategist or consumer insights analyst, where I can use data to uncover motivations and emotional patterns that shape decisions,” she said. “Understanding people, analyzing patterns and communicating in ways that connect meaningfully draws me to this work.”  

When she moves to Nashville, Arinder’s loved ones will continue rooting for her.  

“Adriane has always been an ‘old soul,’” said her mother, Melissa Arinder. “She has always been introspective, calm and mature. She lives with intention and prefers creativity over chasing trends and material things. We are so blessed to be her parents.”  

Arinder is a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority and credits her sorority sisters, along with her three roommates, Mary Turnage, Aubrey Goodwin and Hunter Cooper, as among the most meaningful relationships she built at Ole Miss. 

“I have known Adriane for almost 10 years and have had the privilege to watch her grow into the woman she is today,” Cooper said. “I have seen few people work as hard as her to get to the place she is.  

“She sets goals and does whatever it takes to accomplish them. I am a better person for knowing her, and I cannot wait to see where her journey takes her.”  

Reflecting on her undergraduate journey, Arinder is thankful for the relationships she has nurtured, the consistent work ethic she has put forth and a winding but ultimately rewarding path that included pharmacy, law and, eventually, a calling.  

For students just starting their journey, Arinder’s advice is simple but hard-won. 

“Education is a privilege,” she said. “Remind yourself constantly.”  

Top: Adriane Arinder, an integrated marketing communications senior from Columbia, navigated a major change, family hardship and an unexpected pivot away from pharmacy and law to find her calling in strategic storytelling, earning a spot in Vanderbilt University's marketing graduate program along the way. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services