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Marketing the Lottery

The image depicts a professional meeting in an office setting. A young man with dark hair is seated in a gray office chair, gesturing emphatically while speaking to a woman who is seated beside him. Both individuals are positioned at a white desk that is equipped with a computer monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse. A computer laptop is also visible on the desk.
Justin Zhirzhan ’27 meets with a coworker at the Massachusetts State Lottery during his internship in the marketing department. (Photos by Keith Nordstrom)

What began as a classroom assignment turned into a summer internship for Justin Zhirzhan. After helping create an advertising campaign for the Massachusetts State Lottery in a spring marketing course at Wheaton, he is now working with the Lottery’s marketing team to develop social media campaigns and promotional content.

The business and management major made the most of the introduction to The Lottery provided in the course taught by Assistant Professor of Business and Management Eunji Cho. In his pitch for the position, he brought a skit he filmed with his campus housemates from the Together We All Prosper (TWAP) House to the interview. “They loved it and offered me the position,” Zhirzhan said.

“The TWAP House has truly been a safe haven for me throughout my time at Wheaton,” he said, as the group tackles social justice issues and enhances campus culture through diverse activities. “It has always felt like a home away from home and has had a significant impact on my college experience.”

At the Lottery, Zhirzhan’s primary task is to stay on top of the latest trends to inform potential marketing efforts. “I’m thinking of new ways the Lottery can have better exposure through social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok,” he said. “We’re filming content and making posters and flyers to increase awareness.”

A Posse Scholar, the Brooklyn, N.Y., resident is majoring in business and management with a concentration in finance and a minor in marketing. He has learned much about the teamwork required to market such a large enterprise successfully.

The image depicts a young man smiling and holding a large, blue, cardboard cutout of “The Lottery” logo. The logo features a heart within the outline of the state of Massachusetts. Behind him is a wall adorned with multiple “State of Winning” lottery posters.“The Lottery has a great team generating content and exposure,” he said. “In marketing and communications, we work together to help promote the Lottery. Being surrounded by many helpful and experienced people in a professional setting, I’m gathering information to expand my knowledge and bring to my next position.”

Zhirzhan credits Wheaton with providing him opportunities and initiative to explore. “Wheaton opened my eyes to explore more things,” he said. “If you come in with an open mind, faculty and staff will help you find your path.”

He arrived on campus with a desire to pursue finance, but through courses and experience, he has developed a passion for marketing, as well. “Wheaton does a really good job of letting students explore their options,” he said.

This fall, Zhirzhan will study abroad in Greece, where he will embrace a new culture in his first trip to Europe, while he prepares to pursue either finance or marketing after he graduates next spring. “I feel like both industries have their pros and cons,” he said. “I have a passion for both.”