Meet the President: Sage Canon

Sage Canon: President

Hi! I’m Sage Canon, and I am the President of the American Marketing Association (AMA) at Missouri State University. I’m a junior majoring in Business Marketing with an emphasis in Advertising and Promotion. I was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and made the move to Springfield, Missouri, to pursue my college journey. I’m engaged to my best friend and fiancé, Henry, and we’re getting married in August 2026! Outside of school and AMA, I love staying busy and trying new things. You’ll often find me playing beach volleyball, baking or cooking, reading, shopping, or staying involved at my church. Looking ahead, I hope to turn my passion for marketing into a career in sports marketing or sales.

I first learned about AMA during the first semester of my sophomore year through my friend Courtney Stanbury, who previously served as Vice President of Programming. At the time, I was looking for ways to get more involved on campus and explore my major beyond the classroom, so joining AMA felt like the perfect fit. Courtney’s positive experience and passion for the organization inspired me to run for VP of Programming after she graduated.

This year, I wanted to take the next step by moving into a leadership position where I could be involved in every aspect of the organization, which led me to run for President. Some of my favorite AMA memories include traveling to New Orleans for the International Collegiate Conference, where we stayed up late playing card games, talking, and laughing together, as well as our executive board trip filled with late-night Monopoly and an early morning where Sarah and I cooked breakfast for everyone. As President, I oversee all executive board positions and serve as the main point of contact for AMA. What I love most about this role is being deeply involved in every part of the organization and helping ensure that AMA continues to thrive at its fullest potential.

The most impactful things I’ve gained from AMA are confidence, community, and experience. When I first joined, I was searching for a place where I felt supported and surrounded by people who genuinely wanted to see me thrive, and AMA gave me exactly that. Through this organization, I found a close-knit community while also building confidence in the degree I’m pursuing and gaining hands-on experiences that have shaped my growth. One of the most meaningful experiences was organizing the 12th Annual Hope on Wheels Car Show, where we raised money for Convoy of Hope, a disaster relief organization, while bringing our campus and local community together. It was incredibly rewarding to collaborate with companies like O’Reilly Auto Parts, Andy’s Custard, and BigShots Golf and see the impact we could make through fundraising and community involvement.

AMA has also helped me grow personally by pushing me outside my comfort zone, especially when I had the opportunity to speak at the International Collegiate Conference alongside Peyton Smith, presenting in front of over 200 people about fundraising. That experience challenged my fear of public speaking and helped me grow in ways I never expected. If you’re considering joining AMA, my advice is simple: do it. AMA is truly unlike any other organization on campus. We push each other to grow both personally and professionally, we’re given incredible opportunities, and we genuinely enjoy having fun together.

Being part of AMA has given me a strong group of friends and a sense of belonging that’s rare to find. It’s not one of those clubs you attend once and forget about. I look forward to every meeting, feel invested, and know I’m making the most of my college experience. Even walking to class, I’m almost guaranteed to run into someone from AMA and stop to say hi or catch up, which says so much about the community we’ve built. If I could give one piece of advice to members, it would be to fully commit to AMA, because the reward is absolutely worth it. The time you invest is time spent growing, building meaningful relationships, and creating memories that will last far beyond college.