Hometown: Tupelo, MS

Degree: B.S. in Sport Communication, 2009

What are the responsibilities of your current position?

I work as a Development Assistant with the Army A Club at the United States Military Academy. I help oversee the operations portion of the A Club, everything from game day parking to planning events. My main responsibility is donor relations. Here at West Point, we had over 4,800 donors last year whom we strived to provide the top customer service to. My day-to-day duties consist of in-bound and out-bound phone calls with donors, helping them with donations and ticket requests, along with running daily revenue reports and conducting research for potential prospects.

How did your education at Mississippi State help prepare you for working in your field?

The first thing that comes to mind is after graduating from State, I worked for Royal Caribbean International as a sports staff member. I managed and hosted sporting activities in over 25 countries for people from all over the world. While at State, I took a Globalization and Sport course which helped my understand how each culture reacts to different sports in their local environment. Growing up in SEC country, all you know is football, but once I got the opportunity to work in other countries, I witnessed first-hand the difference between globalization and glocalization, and took what I learned in the classroom into real life experiences.

What advice would you give to current students looking for internships or jobs in the field?

My advice to current students would be to do whatever it takes to get your foot in the door. Build relationships, don't be afraid to call or email someone for advice on what they do and how they got to where they are now. Volunteer as much as possible. When looking for internships or jobs, don't just look at the location or title, make sure that you can actually get something valuable out of the opportunity.