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After some exploration and major changes, Dominique Clayton landed on a degree in marketing. 

“I was interested in corporate law and business marketing,” she said. “This was a perfect combination to tie in two passions I enjoyed.” 

While at UL Lafayette, Dominique took several courses related to political science, business and marketing. In her final semester, her marketing group project worked in conjunction with the BeauSoleil team, which was a group of students who designed and built a sustainable home for the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon. 

“We developed a marketing plan to solicit sponsorships and donations for the team to acquire resources for the competition,” she said.

Dominique was also active outside of the classroom, serving as the vice president of Omega Phi Alpha. 

“The opportunities it provided were leadership experience, community service and friendships,” she said. “Later it would propel me to join other organizations that aligned with my character and purpose.”

Going Places

After graduating from UL Lafayette, Dominique relocated to the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. There, she became involved with local young professional-based organizations. She earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) with an emphasis in Health Systems Management from Texas Woman’s University.  

She worked in the banking and mortgage industry for several years and started her own business and marketing consulting company. She continued to volunteer with nonprofit organizations around the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.

Making a career pivot into the nonprofit sector, Dominique relocated to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, where she now manages online learning and professional development for a medical membership association. 

“In my role, I host educational webinars, coordinate educational enduring materials (online activities) for continuing medical education credits, project management and cross-collaborative projects with our membership and marketing departments,” she explained. 

Her volunteer efforts continue as well. 

“Today, I serve on two nonprofit boards providing mentorship for youths and advocating on behalf of sexual and domestic violence assault victims in Washington, D.C.,” she said. “Currently, I am board president for Big Dreamz, Incorporated and a board member for The Safe Sisters Circle.

“Within the next two years, I plan to transition into a senior leadership role within the organization,” she said. 

She has taken the initiative to join the diversity, equity and iInclusion taskforce at her association. Her long-term career plans align with her passion and purpose. 

“Ultimately, I will become a C-suite executive, best-selling author and continue as a philanthropist,” she said.

This future C-suite executive and philanthropist started off at UL Lafayette for many reasons. 

“I knew my hometown area (River Parish) and was ready for change,” she said. “So moving to Lafayette made sense. It was an opportunity to explore a new area of the state. Tuition was affordable. The student population was a decent size. It was an opportunity to understand how I would manage my studies while away from home.” 

She described Lafayette as a city with a country feel. 

“It felt just like home,” she said.