Class of 2026: Marketing major Madison Silcox is about the message

By Anastasia Mineiro

Katie Gilstrap heard “girl math,” and her head whipped around.

It was spring break in 2025, and Gilstrap, an associate professor of marketing at Virginia Commonwealth University, was leading a group of students on a Global Gateway trip through France and Germany.

Madison Silcox, then a junior, had dropped the term — a popular slang phrase mocking women’s spending habits — in casual conversation.

Gilstrap shined a guiding light, Silcox said.

“She kind of changed my whole outlook on those kinds of statements where it’s, like, instead of just saying ‘boss’ or ‘math,’ it has ‘girl’ in front of it, meaning to imply that something isn’t as meaningful or intellectual,” Silcox said. “It reminded me that even something silly like that has a big impact.”

It also solidified something Silcox had been feeling for the past three years: She made the right choice majoring in marketing, where the message is always paramount. It was also only the latest in a series of lessons that have resonated with her during her college experience.

Before coming to VCU, Silcox wasn’t sure where she wanted to go or what she wanted to study. VCU intrigued her — especially because 60 years earlier, her grandmother, Judy Lenz, had graduated from the then-Richmond Professional Institute as one of the first two women studying engineering technology there.  

Still, Silcox was not dead set on VCU until she toured campus.

“Coming to VCU, it was like a switch had flipped,” she said. “The students were out and about in Monroe Park. It was a lot more interesting than any other campus.”

When it came time to pick a major, she asked her father for advice. He casually suggested marketing.

“Maybe it wasn’t some random thing that he picked,” she said. “Maybe it’s who I am.”

After all, she enjoyed her marketing classes from the start, recounting one of her favorite courses, Creativity and Ideation with Joe Ruiz, an assistant professor at the VCU School of Business.

“It was probably one of the most impactful classes I’ve ever had just because of the thought it provoked,” she said. “We studied things in the real business world and we applied it like, ‘How did people come up with this?’ It’s what you think college will teach.”

Silcox joined the VCU chapter of the American Marketing Association and eventually became the organization’s president. The transition to a leadership role gave her a new trust in herself, she said. “It teaches you to be confident networking with people out in the real world. AMA is a good doorway for that. It really shows you that, hey, you don’t need to have imposter syndrome because you know what you’re talking about.”

Another boost of confidence came from interning in VCU President Michael Rao’s office. She described it as a behind-the-curtain experience that proved enlightening. Among the lessons was that the higher-ups at VCU aren’t as intimidating as she thought.  At commencement, for instance, she helped the university’s leaders don their ceremonial robes before the event.

“Having that opportunity to talk to them face to face and do something that’s so human like getting dressed really shows you that these people do care about students at VCU,” she said. “They have opinions, thoughts and feelings just like us.”

As her own graduation approaches. Silcox thinks about advice she wishes she heard as a freshman.

“A lot of the time you feel in a rush to get started and get involved and do all these things to help your career in the future,” Silcox said. “Slow down. It’s OK. You have three years ahead of you.”