In the classroom, professors stress the importance of making connections. Through every experience, I have strived to build connections and form relationships. There is a value in building and maintaining relationships. Because one of my passions lies within building relationships and helping people, I knew how important putting my face forward would be. I did not know this would lead me to be so successful, though.

The HRSM program at the university is the top program for sport management for a reason. There is an endless number of opportunities and connections. With that though, there is also a large pool of qualified candidates striving to meet the same goals. I completed my first internship the summer of my freshman year and continued to build from there. From there, I have worked alongside the Atlanta Hawks Community Relations Director, MLB for All Star Weekend at Cobb Galleria, and Event Partners Inc at Spectrum Center. Although all of these experiences were immersions into different sectors of the industry, pushing myself and experiences lead me to participate in working these events.

I never thought I would be taking advantage of sport and event opportunities where I knew no one in a crowd full of students and spectators. Volunteer and paid experience opportunities pushed through the university has led me to great success and the reason for many of my industry contacts and connections. I have had the opportunity to participate in many rewarding experiences to meet many different fans and industry professionals. With my first internship being remote, I was more confident and comfortable within myself and my abilities. Through the duration of the internship, I pushed myself to build connections and make a name for myself behind a screen. FanBasis allowed me to connect with many different people on different levels and in different capacities. As an outreach intern, I outreached to different creators, athletes, celebrities, and more through various forms of media such as message, social media, and email. This allowed me to find my personality and my inner strengths.

Pushing your own boundaries and limits is healthy. There are ways to do this both professionally and personally. From professional growth often comes personal growth. As my journey continues, I will apply this theory to everything I do. I have been urged to reach out to CEOs and General Managers to form a connection and make a contact. Without doing so, I would not be so confident in myself or abilities I now possess. Moving forward, I will continue to stride and persevere in this industry. There is only one way to go from here and it is forward.

HRSM 301 was a course dedicated to professional development. This class pushed me to crack open my shell more than any other class or experience. With experiences, hands-on opportunities, and volunteer opportunities, you must come prepared to work and have a customer service face on. In this seminar, I was expecting to learn from a distance. This seminar not only forced me to talk to peers but learn about myself and be confident in who I am.

The first artifact I have included is the elevator pitch I curated and edited throughout the semester of the class. Although the pitch is now oriented to my liking, the process of getting to this point was more than I can put on paper. The process of this elevator pitch was not clear and took time. An elevator pitch is personal and professional. I wanted my elevator pitch to highlight who I am personally and professionally, as well as straight and to the point. The curation of this pitch was developed through activities surrounding building the pitch and reciting it to multiple classmates and industry professionals. From hearing other’s pitches and professionals speak about themselves and their experiences, I was able to come to the conclusion of the one I currently live by. I have altered my pitch based on new experiences and whom I am pitching it to. Through this class and activity, I learned about who I am, what I want, and where I want to go. This elevator pitch now lives in my head rent free and drives a lot of power through my interviews. This has given me an immense amount of confidence. There is power in breaking walls within yourself for professional and personal development.

The second artifact included in this key insight is the link to the 2025 MLB All-Star Village weekend at Cobb Galleria in Atlanta, Georgia. The university serves its students very well in the HRSM program by providing many opportunities for experience. One experience that I took advantage of is the one linked. During this event, I was responsible for crowd control over a certain area of the venue. I was able to make connections with many visitors and vendors from the industry. This experience not only pushed me out of my comfort zone but pushed my mental and physical. During this four-day stretch, I was working thirteen-hour shifts with very early mornings and very late nights. This experience solidified by ability to be disciplined. I worked along with thirty other university students that I did not know, but at the end of the experience, I made very close friends in m program through getting out of my comfort zone. This experience was very healthy and defining for me and my future in this industry.