Student-athlete excelled on the soccer field and in the classroom
23-year-old international student to graduate with business administration degree
By Myles Bridgewater-Jackman | Cal State LA News Service
As a child, Robin Lindahl spent numerous hours next to his dad as he critiqued films. Captivated by the ability of screenwriters to tell stories, Lindahl began to assess what intrigued him about these narratives and challenged himself to write his own.
During his time at Cal State LA, Lindahl discovered he could funnel his creativity and passion for storytelling into the field of business, as a marketer. He will graduate in May with a 3.58 GPA and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an option in marketing from the College of Business and Economics.
Lindahl, 23, an avid soccer player who was raised in Lillestrøm, Norway, made the decision early on that he wanted to do something different from his classmates and was excited about pursuing his passion for the sport while achieving a quality education in the United States.
After spending a year at Cal State Bakersfield, Lindahl transferred to Cal State LA, becoming a key member of the nationally ranked Golden Eagles men’s soccer team. He also excelled in the classroom as he advanced toward his degree.
Following an outstanding first season with the soccer squad, Lindahl improved his contributions during his second year. He led the team in 2018 with 12 goals and 4 assists, earning All-West Region honors from the United Soccer Coaches and Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association.
Lindahl’s accomplishments in the classroom earned him All-Academic honors from the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
Lindahl focused on his studies and consistently looked for ways to challenge himself in his classes.
“Marketing or advertising is about being creative, so that was mostly what appealed to me,” he says.
Lindahl relies on his creativity to analyze how commercials utilize characters and their personalities to influence consumers. It’s a skill that helps him think about creating campaigns that have a greater likelihood of being received positively by their intended audience.
One campaign that reached him as a child was Tony the Tiger of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal.
“I loved tigers when I was little,” Lindahl recalls. “And so, I was like, ‘I see that tiger, that tiger likes Frosted Flakes, I want to try Frosted Flakes.’”
Lindahl says character building is crucial to a successful campaign and is the aspect that he finds most enjoyable about marketing.
After he graduates in the spring, Lindahl plans to enter his field as a marketing or creative assistant and would ideally like to work in social media marketing. When he does, he’ll be bringing the same drive that made him successful on the soccer pitch and in the classroom.
“I’m pretty competitive, so I want to be really good at whatever I’m doing,” he says. “I always try to just apply myself in anything that I choose to do.”
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