
ChatSMC: Gracie Martin ’25 will soon start work at NVIDIA, the world's leading AI chip manufacturer. Her role as a Marketing Documentation and User Experience Specialist is one she earned thanks in no small part to her background in communications, she says. / Photo courtesy Gracie Martin
In Their Own Words: Gracie Martin ’25 on Her Unexpected Route to NVIDIA, the AI Chip Juggernaut
A Communication major, Martin never envisioned herself in tech. However, with support from family and SMC’s Career Center, she landed an internship that led to a full-time job. Her advice? “Use the experiences you have…Someone's gonna like you for you.”
In Their Own Words is a series in which we introduce you to the Gaels you need to meet—students, alums, faculty, and staff—and let them tell their stories, in their own words.
Meet Gracie Martin ’25: In 2024, she scored a summer internship at NVIDIA, the leading AI chip manufacturer and currently the world’s most valuable company. This May, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication with a Media Maker concentration. In July, Martin begins a new full-time job at NVIDIA, working as a Marketing Documentation and User Experience Specialist.
The road to Saint Mary’s
I never saw myself going to college in California. I'm originally from Santa Clara, about an hour away from Moraga. I always thought I’d go to a big school somewhere far away. But then, the pandemic hit, and everything changed for me. Suddenly, being in the Bay Area, in a tight-knit community, made a lot of sense.
My mom had gone to Saint Mary’s, so I was definitely familiar. And the more I thought about it, the more I could see it: beautiful campus, a new area, close to home (but not so close that my parents could just show up). So it all happened naturally. Saint Mary’s was the right place at the right time.
Making media, selling tickets
When I came into college, I’ll admit, I had no clear path. By my second year, though, I chose to major in Communication on the Media Maker track. I’ve always been fascinated by media and design, so it was a great fit for me.
I really loved the Comms program at Saint Mary’s. I also enjoyed my on-campus job, working as a sales representative for the SMC Athletics Tickets Office. The job was a customer-facing role, helping people buy tickets or solving problems. It combined both communication and another passion of my mine, sports. At the time, I definitely dreamed of doing comms for the NFL or the NBA someday. Tech was definitely not on my radar.
Finding a fit
The summer before junior year, I was applying to internships and not having much success. The process was disheartening. I thought to myself, Wow, I may never get an internship. That semester, though, my roommate, Lauren Stadt ’24, encouraged me to go talk to the Career Center. Also, in a very Saint Mary’s twist, her mom is Mary Beth Stadt, who is the Executive Director of the Center.
Mary Beth was so supportive throughout the application process. She really pushed me to pursue marketing roles, helping me tailor my resume. She even did mock interviews with me.
I applied to NVIDIA with the help of my hometown network. But then, in March, I got asked to interview, and then passed on to the next round, and the next. By spring break, I heard back: I’d gotten the internship.
"Because companies often hire strictly for technical abilities, relational and interpersonal skills can get overlooked. So it was encouraging to hear that a company like NVIDIA wants more people like me, with a liberal arts education."
From first internship to first job
When I started the summer internship, I didn’t know what I was walking into, really. I had some idea, because I would tell people and they would say things like, “You know that’s the biggest company in the world right now, right?” But showing up on day one for training, I got the picture: I was one of hundreds of interns.
I hit the ground running that summer. As a campaign marketing intern, I learned on the job, working across departments and gaining an in-depth understanding of the company and AI technology. By August, I was starting to feel like I was getting a handle on it all. Then, a week or two before the end, I got a call from my manager asking for a meeting.

I maybe had some idea what was coming, but still, I never expected to hear them say, “We want to offer you a job.” I was shocked, and humbled. I recognized what a unique position it was: to be able to sign an offer letter before I’d even finished college.
The liberal arts edge
In my new role as a Marketing Documentation and User Experience Specialist, I’ll be primarily helping shape and refresh NVIDIA's marketing website. I’ll be the person pinpointing what information needs to be included and how we can present it all in an accessible and straightforward way—making the website user-friendly, essentially.
One thing my managers told me when they offered me the job was how much they appreciated my Communication background. I found that so interesting. I have family who have worked in Silicon Valley for a long time; they told me that, because companies often hire strictly for technical abilities, relational and interpersonal skills can get overlooked. So it was encouraging to hear that a company like NVIDIA wants more people like me, with a liberal arts education.
Advice for current and future Gaels
For those just entering college, I would suggest just going with the flow. You have four years to do this!
By junior year, though, it’s good to start pinpointing what area you’re interested in or what kind of internships you’d like to try and use the Career Center. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t have anything. I didn’t at first.
Last year, Mary Beth Stadt asked me to participate in some Career Center panels, where I spoke to underclassmen about my journey. One thing I always told them was, “Play to your strengths.” Use the experiences you have, because someone is gonna like you for you.
Don’t put yourself in a box that doesn't fit. That way, when you do get that role, it’s because you’re the right person for it.
(This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)
Hayden Royster is the Associate Editor for the Office of Marketing and Communication at Saint Mary's College. Write him.