Creating her own fairytale
On any given week, Emory Slane might step into a fairytale at Disneyland, then head
back to UC Irvine to tackle econometrics.
The business economics major and drama minor has created a college experience that combines performance and analysis – and found a way to carry them forward into a career after she graduates in June.
Slane started taking ballet at just three-years-old and added acting to her repertoire in high school. UC Irvine’s proximity to the Happiest Place on Earth, and Orange County’s picturesque beaches – an entirely different environment than the Sierra Nevada foothills where she grew up – initially attracted her to the campus. But ultimately, it was the promise of academic opportunity that sealed her decision.
“When I visited the campus, it just felt so right,” she says. “One thing that stood out to me was how many options there are at UC Irvine, and how many people double major or take a minor. I knew I could definitely find my place here.” Slane says. “In the last four years, this campus has helped me grow into a version of myself that I'm very proud of.”
Following her mom’s footsteps
After her first year, Slane switched her focus to business economics, one of three majors offered by the Department of Economics. The move was inspired in part by admiration of her mom, who has a successful career in finance, and the fact that economics courses just “clicked.
“The professors here have a passion for what they teach and, as a result, I feel like it’s easy to be passionate about it, too,” says Slane.
Among those inspiring faculty was Sofia Franco, assistant professor of teaching. In two of Franco’s courses that Slane took, she required final projects that offer a glimpse into the real-world of business. For one of those, Slane completed a case study exploring how the 125-year-old razor company Gillette grew into a globally recognized brand. Despite being initially enthusiastic about researching a shaving company, the experience gave Slane a new appreciation for the intricacies of global product marketing – and even made her consider it as a future career path.
“UCI professors have such an applied teaching style. Of course, they teach math and economics but they also show us how to use it in the real world – which matters,” Slane says. “It speaks to our position as a research university and that our professors are actively applying their work to solve real-world problems while also teaching.”
Making the leap from arts to social sciences felt daunting to Slane at first, but the Social Sciences Academic Resource Center eased her transition. She attended events hosted by the center, where she met other students in the school and learned key skills like resume writing – which looks entirely different for a business student than for a professional performer. In her final year at UC Irvine, Slane became a SSARC student ambassador.
“Having the community at the SSARC was so important to me, and I really wanted to be able to help others in the same way that they had helped me,” says Slane. “The resources are wonderful, but more than that it’s been a great way to build community.”
In her role as ambassador on the post-baccalaureate committee, Slane helps organize events supporting social sciences students interested in pursuing graduate school. She also provides one-on-one consultations to students, connecting them to the center’s career and academic resources.
Magic of connection
Throughout her time at UC Irvine, Slane infused dance and drama into other roles across campus. In the Sleep and Cognition Lab, directed by world-renowned sleep expert and cognitive sciences professor Sara Mednick, Slane taught simple choreography to study participants. After learning the movements and sleeping overnight, the participants would repeat the dance the next day – all with researchers carefully monitoring them to better understand the connection between motor skills, memory and sleep.
“Emory exemplifies the full potential of a UCI student. As a double major in drama and social sciences, she was an obvious choice when I needed a student researcher for our collaborative sleep and dance study with UCI’s Sleep and Cognition Lab and the University of Iowa,” says Andrew Palermo, professor of drama. “Her skill, rigor, attention to detail, and natural collegiality made her an invaluable contributor to the research.”
Slane also brought her acting skills to the School of Law, which hires drama students to role-play as witnesses to help train future lawyers. She would memorize a character’s backstory and then improvise so that law students could practice taking depositions.
But Slane’s biggest stage during her time at UC Irvine has been Disneyland. Like so many children, she grew up enamored by Disney fairytales, so when the opportunity arose to audition to become a performer at the theme park, she decided to find out if the glass slipper fit. Now, she works two or three days every week in her dream job.
“There's no other work environment like Disneyland, so it’s been a very unique experience that I'm really grateful for,” she says. “When I was a kid, Disney was so impactful to me, and now I’ve been able to bring that magic to kids who believe – and adults.”
Bringing joy to children is something Slane has focused on beyond Disney, as well. With her sorority Gamma Phi Beta, she has held philanthropy roles helping raise money and organize a 5K for Girls on the Run, a nonprofit afterschool program for third through fifth graders.
“My favorite part was getting to meet the girls in the program at the race. It’s been important to me to give back to the community in some way while I'm here at UCI,” she says.
As her undergraduate experience at UC Irvine comes to a close, Slane is exploring career opportunities that allow her to combine her skills in business economics with her love of performance and connection. Ultimately, she’s looking at a job in business-to-business sales for a technology company.
“I'm really excited. I have loved everything I've learned about the industry and everyone I've met in it,” she says. “I love being able to talk to and connect with people, and this is going to be a perfect way to do that.”
As commencement approaches, Slane says she’ll draw on the lessons from UC Irvine about balancing work and school, creativity and structure, as she writes the next chapter of her story.
“The biggest thing I’ve gained from UCI is discipline. Taking so many challenging technical classes, especially while working three days a week, taught me how to keep a very strict study schedule, to apply myself, and not to get burned out,” Slane says. “The rigor that UCI offers has been really great and makes me feel like I am prepared to go into the professional world.”
-Christine Byrd for UCI Social Sciences
-pictured: Emory Slane. Slane with fellow SSARC ambassadors. Slane at Disney.