Why WVU CPASS?
While working as a student assistant in the WVU Athletics communications my senior
year, I was surrounded by graduate students whom I looked up to and worked around
every day. I wanted to do the same. I wanted to gain more experience and expand
my sports career as much as I could.
As I was planning my next moves after graduation, I decided to continue my education
at WVU and pursue my master’s in sport management, while working and being a
GA in the Athletics communications department.
Some of my favorite memories as a student have come from working in the Athletics
department. There’s too many to choose, but just being able to work Mountaineer
football and basketball games was amazing. I got to see games from a whole new
perspective from the sidelines and see behind the scenes moments of what makes
a game day come to life.
Describe your involvement in the WVU sport management program.
My experience in the WVU sport management program was incredible. I learned so
much and was able to create lifelong friendships and mentors.
I chose the two-year master’s program because I wanted to gain hands-on experience
as a graduate assistant in the athletics communications department. So, I was
working while also pursuing a master’s degree. I was busy but loved it. As a
GA, I essentially was the Sports Information Director for WVU’s track and field,
cross country and swimming and diving teams.
I promoted each team’s events and meets, managed their social media platforms,
wrote feature stories and press releases, as well as created graphic promotional
materials for them. Additionally, I helped capture social media content for WVU’s
football and men’s basketball teams and wrote feature stories on student-athletes.
Mid-way into my first year in grad school, I knew I had a passion for social media
in sports and that I wanted to get more involved. I enjoyed creating content
and being able to story tell through social media. I reached out to the director
of digital media, Grant Dovey, who is a mentor to me, and expressed my interest
in social media.
He got me involved in numerous opportunities, including being a part of Instagram’s
Student Section Program. This was a fun and creative program where one representative
from the top schools participating in March Madness had to creatively capture
and visually show gameday through Instagram stories. I was coming up with original
ways to capture each game day and highlight the school’s student section. It
was also a way to get insight on Instagram's new features and learn more about
the platform.
How did WVU internships support your career opportunities?
All the experiences I gained at WVU helped me jumpstart my sports career. After
I graduated with my master’s, I landed a job with the Green Bay Packers on their
social media team. I was there for a year and it was truly an amazing experience.
I helped manage the Packers’ official social media accounts, Twitter, Instagram,
Facebook and Snapchat.
I worked daily to promote news and stories surrounding the team, created and captured
compelling social media content that brought fans close to our team, worked with
internal departments to achieve business objectives, constantly ideating and
more. On game days, I was on the field capturing content, giving fans a unique
perspective into gameday. I managed the Packers Snapchat and Instagram story,
capturing touchdowns and big plays as they happened on the sidelines.
After my experience with the Packers, I moved to NYC and started my role at the
NFL.