When I was a Sophomore in college I had yet to declare for my major. One option was going the practical route and getting a degree in Finance or Business.  The other option was pursuing a degree in Sports Management.  I loved sports and at the time, I didn't care to study economics and saw it as an opportunity to be around like-minded people, so I figured it was a no-brainer.

 

Fast forward to the start of my senior year, and I barely had any experience in sports.  I wouldn't say I slacked off, but I didn't understand how important it was to get experience in the industry early on.  Either way, the fear of not finding a job after graduation began to haunt me and it finally hit me that having to pay off thousands in student loans was soon to be a reality.  I knew the pay for an entry-level position in sports was peanuts compared to other industries and the thought of trying to pay off student loans was terrifying.

 

After deciding that working in sports was the career path I wanted to take, I applied to anything and everything.  I was lucky enough to be given an internship opportunity in the Florida State University Athletics Ticket Office.  My responsibilities were simple: scan tickets and greet fans as they came into baseball games.  After a lot of hard work and an eagerness to learn, I was slowly given more responsibility, which eventually led to a part-time position.

I was able to develop my skills and gain more experience which led to earning a full-time job in ticket sales and service with the Florida Atlantic University Athletics Ticket Office.

 

After a year and a half of working at FAU and being fortunate enough to build some great relationships, I was given an opportunity to work at Washington State University in their Athletics Marketing Department and have been here for a little over a year.

​

I honestly have no idea what's next in my career. Most people feel the end goal in collegiate athletics is to become an athletic director.  I don't know if that's what I want nor do I even know if I'll ever have that opportunity. But, what I do know is I want to be successful in whatever job I have in the sports industry and make the people closest to me proud.

​