Madison Apton

Advertising BA, Concentration in Copywriting '23

Recent graduate sums up her experience at Columbia: “Meet cool people, make cool art.”

What would you say has been the most surprising thing you learned at Columbia?

Kindness is everywhere. I’ve met so many kind and supportive creatives who have cheered me on these past two years. Finding a community of creatives at Columbia who uplift each other and love to collaborate has been an incredible thing to experience.

What individuals or programs at Columbia were helpful to you in reaching your goal of graduating?

Everything I’ve learned about writing great copy has come from Larry Minsky. He has always encouraged me to think outside of the box and to believe in my voice. Tom Eslinger has inspired me to always embrace my weirdest but most awesome ideas. And lastly, taking Agency with Anne Marie Mitchell and Kevin Christophersen gave me the hands-on experience of working with a client, which I never had before. They did an amazing job of encouraging our creative ideas and providing a space similar to the real world.  

What are your plans for after graduation?

I plan to apply for junior copywriting roles at advertising agencies in Chicago.

If you were going to sum up your experience at Columbia in one sentence, what would you say?

Meet cool people, make cool art.