12 Days of... Grad School

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday season. Before you indulge in traveling, family time and presents, here's 12 days (actually reasons - that was my lame attempt at a holiday themed post) why I chose USF. Just remember, I'm from a suburb of Dallas and went to small town Fayetteville, Arkansas for college. So if I can educe the change, so can you.. And yes I brought back the GIFS.

#1 - You're in one of the most influential cities in America, if not the world.

USF is located in a city with a population over 825,000 along with numerous athletic teams, outdoor recreation businesses and fitness facilities. While taking classes, students have access to multiple internships or practicums with the variety of business opportunities that will enhance the learning experience while preparing for a career. 

#2 - Gain over 1,000 hours of hands-on experience.

Your internships with leading professional sport teams, universities, or agencies can start as soon as day one. Don't wait around, jump right in!

#3 - Grad school is job preparation.

Always be looking for ways to enhance your skills because this is the time to learn. As a follow up from the previous reason, do your research. Find out what’s hot in your field, what’s necessary, what’s in demand. Be proactive during your time in grad school.

#4 - Learn from leaders in the field.

The teaching faculty and influential guest speakers have all experienced multiple scenarios  to share with students new to the industry. They're insight and lessons can be valuable and help your path in this industry.

#5 - Join an active alumni network.

The USF network is huge. You have access to over 1,500 alumni who are leaders in the sport industry, use them! Even if they aren't in your specific field you want, making those connections could lead you to the dream job you've always wanted.

#6 - Attend evening class once a week.

Going to class once a week has it's perks. Rather than hitting a brick wall like you probably did once you graduated with your bachelors, this program allows you to get that job before you even graduate. Earn your Master's degree in 23 months!

#7 - This might be more like a graduate school reason but, the research.

As a grad student, you work on problems/issues that have no known solution, or are up for discussion and debate. It brings our your creative and intellectual side. Boundaries are pushed which can cause second guesses. You can head down a path combining two completely different ares of research, and see what you discover. The goal isn’t to do what you know, but to push yourself beyond that, and find your limits. 

#8 - The in-between stage.

I’m not sure how many grad students like this, but I really do. Being a grad student is a bit like being in limbo. You’ve got a lot more responsibility and respect than an undergrad, but you don’t have all the administrative work and extra stress of being a professor. In the work place, most employers know you're a student and remember what it's like, allowing you time to balance your schoolwork (that is if you have a USF alumni in your workplace). Being a grad student is a chance to make mistakes and know that someone is around who is there to help you catch them and fix it. Take advantage of any learning opportunity that is thrown your way!

#9 - Don’t be afraid to take on volunteer work and part-time gigs.

It's usually the smaller based jobs that give you a large learning curve. Try new things and let your résumé and character build. That will give you skills that will be useful both in and out of school and your jobs. Plus, the more experience you have, the more examples and talking points you'll have during interviews!

#10 - Meet others who share the same passion.

The cohort experience fosters life-long personal and professional relationships with a diverse group of students. When new cohorts start, mingle with them too! You never know who you'll become friends with or even be working with in the future.

#11 - Is grad school and working in sports supposed to be this much fun?

If you're as passionate about working in sports as I am, each day is a new adventure. After dipping my toes in multiple organizations, I never imagined I would be doing the amount that I'm actually doing. While I watch and be a part of history, I'm obtaining my Master's. How cool is that?

#12 - It's seriously the best program. 

Sure, I'm biased but come on. You're living in one of the biggest cities in the world and have so much more than you could ever imagined right in front of your nose. You can't beat it.

World Series Champs!!

The last month has been crazy for the city of San Francisco to say the least. It's such a special thing to have your favorite team win a championship, but living within the city makes it that much cooler. But do you know what could make that experience greater far beyond just living here? Working for the winning team. My cohort was lucky enough to live vicariously through 4 members, each working in a different department. 

Top left to right: Joe Alioto, Spencer Serafin, Stephen Ellis
Bottom left to right: Alyssa Nakken, Stephen Ellis

After the win, I spoke to all of them about their experiences and this is what they had to say:

1. What is your position and what are your duties?

Spencer - My position is Ballpark Operations Intern. The main groups i work with are the operations team, security, guest services, maintenance, and the grounds crew.

Stephen - My position is the Media Relations Intern. I help take care of the Media's needs, help with stats, help with game notes, help run the Giants' Twitter accounts during the games, distribute notes and stats to the players, broadcasters, and coaches, create and distribute daily and weekly minor league reports, write field passes, etc. 

Alyssa - My current position is the Baseball Operations Intern. My day to day duties include editing amateur video sent in to us by our scouts all over the nation. I input many scouting reports into player profiles located in our scouting system software along with communicating any trades or transactions that take place across the MLB to our entire department. 

Joe - I am an Intern in the Client Relations department. The duties of this position consist of supporting the Client Relations Vice President, Director, and Account Managers, while also helping the Suite Department.  Generally, this involves assistance with special events, projects, and daily tasks.  My primary responsibility is to answer customer questions, issues, and requests on our Season Ticket Member hotline. 

2. What was the application/interview process like?

Spencer - The application process started in November when the position was posted on the Giants website and I received notification from one of the many USF job posting emails. I submitted my application and resume online at the end of November and heard back from the Giants in early January. Since I was living in Southern California at the time my first interview was over the phone. I then received an offer for a second interview which i accepted and made the trip up to San Francisco. About a week after the second interview I received a call with an offer of an internship and without hesitation accepted.

Stephen - For the application, I had to submit a cover letter and resume. There were two rounds of interviews: in the first round, I met with the whole department and they all took turns asking me questions. In the second round, I met with the person who became my supervisor and the head of HR. They both just asked me a few additional questions. The whole process was relatively easy and the department was very welcoming. 

Alyssa - I noticed the internship opening during Thanksgiving break last year. I applied in early December. The application process was pretty simple--they asked for a resume, cover letter, and references. I had my first telephone interview with our Director of Player Personnel right before Christmas. In early February I went in for an in-person interview. I sat in front of about 10 people (the majority of the front office operations department including our VP, Director of Quantitative Analysis, and Assistant General Manager). My final interview was that same day and was one-on-one with Brian Sabean, the General Manager. The Giants look for a good "fit" for their organization. It wasn't so much about the things that I had accomplished, it was more about the passion I showed for the game of baseball and passion for working hard to add value to the organization.

Joe - The interview process was a very cool learning experience for me.  First, I had a phone interview with three employees that went really well.  Unfortunately, a few days before I was brought in for an in-person interview, I fractured my tibia and was in pretty bad shape.  I needed a lot of help being brought to my interviews, and preparing my thoughts was very difficult.  Luckily, the Giants did not hold my injury against me, and in fact, I think they respected the fact that I still made it to my interview despite my situation.  Everyone who interviewed me was very friendly, and they definitely liked that I was a student in the USF Master’s Program. After one phone interview and two in-person interviews, I was offered the position and happily accepted!

3. Besides being a part of a winning team, what was the coolest experience of being a Giants employee?

Spencer - The Giants really do a lot for their employees. There are numerous activities a month for employees to engage in such as movie screenings, trips to a minor league game, or even brewery tours. Also, they are a very open organization and even interns opinions are heard. But best of all has been the experience of working at a baseball stadium every day and experiencing almost every home game of the season.  

Stephen - Growing up in the Bay Area, I was always a Giants fan. As great as it was having my favorite team win in 2010 and 2012, I never felt as if I had actually contributed to the team and was never truly part of the experience. I think one of the best things about being a Giants employee was that this time I could say "we" won and not "they" won. 

Alyssa - The coolest part about being a Giants employee is knowing each and every day that I get to represent one of the world's top organizations. We are more than just the best baseball team--we continuously strive to make positive differences in the community and the world. This organization and the people that make it up are like family. That may be the coolest thing about being an employee. All of the perks are cool, too, of course--free games, health & fitness events during lunchtime, World Series trips, etc.

Joe - One was definitely working in one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world. Whether it was walking around the ballpark during a day game, watching batting practice, or helping out with pregame events on the field, I really enjoyed being a part of such a great experience at such a great venue. Obviously, being able to watch my favorite baseball team play during work hours was amazing too! I could go on forever about all the cool stuff I was a part of.

4. With there being 81 home games, how were you able to balance school work?

Spencer - The nice part about our program is that it is built around students working and having internships. With class only one night per week I was able to rarely have to miss a day of work or a game. The biggest part for me was being focused because I know this internship is a great step towards the career I want and I needed to do the best I possibly could. I found time to do my homework either after work when the team was away or in the mornings before a night game. It did get tricky on longer home stands to leave time to do school work but in the end I was able to handle it without missing out on too much sleep. 

Stephen - Luckily, my department had two people in it who had graduated from our program. So, when it came to games on Wednesday nights, they were very understanding about me going to class. Although there was a lot of work to balance, I was able to catch up when the team was on the road. 

Alyssa - I was fortunate enough to not have too many game-day responsibilities which allowed for me to have a more consistent schedule, making it easier to balance the school workload. It also helps that all of my supervisors went through the Sport Management program. They have all been able to help me with papers/projects, and understand that sometimes I need to take time during the workday to complete an assignment or catch up on reading. It's not easy, but it pays off.

Joe - The Giants were great at making sure I always had adequate time to get my school work done.  If I needed to leave early to practice a presentation or get some extra work done, they would ALWAYS accommodate. That being said, I think I did a good job of managing my time so that school and work rarely conflicted. Since I usually worked Monday-Friday, I did most of my work on Sunday. 

5. If you could do it all over again, would you do it and why?

Spencer - Without question I would do it all over again. Baseball has always been a passion of mine and to have the opportunity to work for a major league club was a dream come true. While it was difficult moving, I knew that if i wanted to work for a team the options were limited and moving  a major possibility. I believe that you need to do whatever is necessary to achieve your dreams and not to settle. Plus it didn't hurt to be a part of a World Series Champion Organization.  

Stephen - No question. I would definitely do it all over again. In just one season, I met a lot of people and have a good sense about how PR departments operate in Major League Baseball. This internship was great because I was treated as a coworker (not just an intern) and was given the opportunity to get hands-on experience.  

Alyssa -  If I could do this all over again, I would. This has hands down been the best year of my life thus far. I've learned so much not only about the baseball world, but about myself. I've been challenged in so many ways. Being the only female in the department definitely made me tough. Some days have been harder than others, but looking back I'm so happy to have gone through those hard times--it pays off and I've definitely earned the respect from some of the top people in the MLB. This has been a fascinating experience, and has opened a lot of doors for me. I wouldn't change a thing about it.

Joe - Without question I would do this internship again! At first I was skeptical that I was going into a department that was fairly unrelated to what I want to do with my career (basketball operations), but it ended up being valuable in so many ways. I learned so much about myself, and I now have a better understanding of my strengths and my weaknesses. I know I sound like a broken record, but there were really so many cool experiences that I will never forget. When a team you work for makes the postseason, especially in baseball, there are just endless fun activities and celebrations. It definitely helped that the team was very good on the field, but regardless, I still would've had a blast this season.

6. What lessons did you learn/will you take away from your experience when moving forward in your career?

Spencer - Some of the biggest things I have learned interning for the Giants is to stay humble and work hard. While working for a sports franchise is very fun it also requires a lot of work. To get the best product to the field requires many departments coming together to create something bigger. Working as a team really makes a difference and makes everyone's jobs that much easier. If you do your part and make sure to help everyone around you then you really can be a part of something amazing, which is what happened this year with the Giants. 

Stephen - I think one of the biggest things was overcoming the anxiety of talking with people that you don't know. It was extremely helpful getting to know the PR personnel from visiting teams. Also, during the playoffs, a lot of people come to your stadium who work for MLB. Creating positive relationships with these types of people can only spell good things for your career. 

Alyssa - The biggest lesson I've learned is to hold on to the vision, and trust the process. I've always been someone that sees the future and focuses solely on that, but forgets to enjoy and learn from the present. We have to trust the entire process and the vision will one day become a reality. I couldn't agree more, and I've applied this to my own life in and out of the office and will continue to embrace this lesson throughout my career.

Joe - One lesson I took away from my experience was to ALWAYS ask questions. It is so much better to get clarification on something than to try and figure it out yourself. Often times I tried to do things by myself and got tangled in my own confusion. Rather than putting myself in a tough position, I know now that I should always ask for help if I am unsure on anything. 

7. Lastly, will you get some bling!?

Spencer - I sure hope so! I haven't heard anything yet but i know the process of designing the rings and getting the orders takes a while. If not the experience alone was more than enough of a reward. 

Stephen - I think so! Stay tuned. I know that I'll at least get the opportunity to buy a ring, which is a pretty tough opportunity to pass up.

Alyssa - Yes, I will be fortunate enough to get a World Series ring! The hardest part is figuring out which finger to put it on.

Joe - I am not 100% sure, but I believe so!

A big thank you to Spencer, Stephen, Alyssa and Joe for being a part of the blog to share their experience as a Giants employee during the 2014 World Championship season. 

I Hope You Dance

During the rarity of spare time I have in my life, I found myself sitting on Ocean Beach in San Francisco. This beach is located in the Outer Sunset District of the city, as far west as you can go as I like to say. For the first year I lived in San Francisco, I lived just three blocks from Ocean Beach and visited it regularly. Whether it was running five miles or just sitting listening to the waves crash, I found a sense of relief. I haven't been back in a few months, which makes me realize that it had been a little too long.

If you were to talk to my close friends, they'd tell you I'm terrified of the ocean. And for that matter, I'm not a big fan of the sand. I just hate the way it sticks to you and it never seems to escape your body. But, for the year I lived by the beach, it made me realize and see changes in myself I never thought possible. I guess you could say the beach is a giant metaphor of my experience in California.

Each time I visit the beach no matter if I run or sit, I always listen to Lee Ann Womack's 'I Hope You Dance'. If you're in need of an inspirational song in your life, that's the one I recommend. The song is about taking chances, something I've learned in my last year and a half. For example, visiting a place like the beach on a weekly basis even though it scares me. 

Moving out was scary, I won't deny it. So if you're from out of state or even down in SoCal and looking into this program up in the Bay Area, it'll be scary. But, the good news is, you're not the only one. As cliché as it sounds, the lyrics definitely describe everything I've been in taught from USF.

And in case you don't listen to the song, here's a few verses:

- - I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance / Never settle for the path of least resistance / Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin'

I hope you dance / Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along / Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean / Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens - -

First of all, there are a lot of mountains in the distance. I'm from Texas, the best mountain we have is made out of concrete and windows in the heart of downtown Dallas and it's not as scenic as the ones out here. 

The path of least resistance. Now that is a huge lesson you'll learn at USF. The first class you'll take with Dr. Cellini will remind you over and over again to get out of your comfort zone and to be different. There's a reason people you work with stay at the same position for years, they don't get out of their flow. Be different.

Taking chances that are worth taking. If I had the opportunity to go back and do it all again, hands down I would. Maybe I'm biased in the sense that I have come to like moving and experiencing new things, but that's something this program has done for me. Overall, this chance is worth taking. I'm 22 years-old, have worked in over five sport organizations and made so many connections, if not friends, along the way. I know they say life after undergrad is different, but they didn't tell me how much fun I'd be having too!

Time is always rolling. I think that sums up my last 5 days and the next 5 days coming up. In the last five days I've ran a half marathon, went to a country concert, worked a Warriors game with the PR team, and worked my day job at Pac-12 Networks. In the next five days, I'll work both Pac-12 men's and women's basketball media days, go to Arkansas for homecoming weekend and be back to work at Pac-12 Networks on Monday. And if you're wondering if I sleep, the answer is yes. I'm sort of like the human energizer bunny so not that much sleep is required.

Doors opening. With this program, doors are constantly being opened. I can guarantee there's someone from USF at each sport entity in the Bay Area, you'll always have some sort of connection. With that being said, finding a foot in the door isn't as hard as you may think, but it definitely takes a little bit more to get a job or internship than just having USF next to your name. For example, with my new position with the Warriors, a classmate in cohort 41 who is interested in basketball and PR was looking for an opportunity to fill the downtime he had during his weeks. I was able to help him get in contact with the Warriors.

So, when I'm sitting at the beach and listening to this song I picture my whirlwind of a time I've had in San Francisco. My experience here can definitely resemble a wave, always moving quickly. I've learned that the amount of effort I put into jobs and connections will only help what I get out of this program. And if Lee Ann Womack ever asks, you can tell her I've been dancing during my time at USF.

Full Circle: Why I Work In Sports

So that saying, “everything happens for a reason”, is a phrase I totally believe in. No matter what the situation is, I always know it’s for a purpose. For my experiences this last month, I know there was a build up that was longer than a month, but it was the best feeling knowing it all came full circle.

For obvious reasons, sports have always been a part of my life. Being a competitive gymnast since I was seven and up until college, I’ve had my fair share of what it’s like to win. Whether it was individually or next to the teammates on the Arkansas Gymnastics team, each time had a different feeling to the win.

After retiring from gymnastics after my sophomore year, I sort of felt like my glory days were over. Since I had been competing in gymnastics for over half my life, I never expected to have a winning feeling again. Because of my competitive nature, I knew sport would be the industry I worked in, mainly to try and fill that void of competition I no longer had in my life.

Because of my early and unexpected retirement, it allowed me to build my resume before applying for grad school. Without those jobs, who knows if I would have been accepted into this program, and who knows where I’d be now. As much as I didn’t want to realize it, I knew my early retirement had a meaning.

After moving here and being a gymnastics coach in the Bay Area, I still had yet to experience winning again. Last season I worked with the Oakland Raiders and they as well did not have a winning season. Then, I worked with Stanford women’s gymnastics team and even though they qualified to nationals, I didn’t travel with the team to witness it. I still had that missing feeling.

When Vinny Espinosa from my class talked to me about his job with an independent minor league baseball team, I sort of thought the league he was explaining was a joke. It’s not affiliated with a major league team and the guys were already graduated from college, so in all honesty I thought it was sort of like an adult league.

I really didn’t expect to be as attached to this job just because it had such a short time period. But, being around the same people for 90 or more days, those feelings changed. When I first started with the San Rafael Pacifics, there was hype that they’d be the best team in the league. After a few games and seeing outings of the other teams, I started to believe that they could be the best by the end of the season.

After winning the first half of the season I started to look forward to the end knowing I would get to be a part of the championship. Even though I knew it meant the season would be over, I was really looking forward to it.  With about a week left of play, it was looking as if the Pacifics would win the second half even before the season was over.

Of course with baseball, or any sport for that matter, anything can happen. That’s the beauty of sport in my eyes. No matter the amount of talent on a team, the preparation, a ranking or record, it all comes down to that moment. Sure enough, it came down to the last game of the regular season before the Pacifics won it all.

The anxiety and nervousness I felt that whole weekend was unreal. As an athlete I rarely got nervous, if anything competing was fun. Getting to perform and show what I had been training for was always a blast. But now that I’m behind the scenes and can no longer participate, I was sort of a wreck. Maybe it was because I knew I could have that winning feeling again and I wanted it really bad.

After losing two games in a row that could have clinched the championship, the Pacifics finally won it all in the most dramatic baseball game I’ve ever witnessed. They won 11 – 8 and the teams battled back and forth the entire game. Each inning had its own drama that made it that much more exciting. As I sat in the dugout for the last inning, I just knew we were going to win. I videoed the last out, that transitioned into a dog pile, and then to the team popping champagne.

Everything had finally come full circle for me and I was finally a part of that winning feeling again.  It may have taken three years since that last feeling, but it was well worth the wait. It sounds silly, but that was the energy and moment I needed to keep me going. Everyone has those ‘stuck in a rut’ times and for me I felt like lately I had just been going through the motions.

The Pacifics reminded me that winning tastes so sweet. Being a part of this win made me realize why I fell in love with sports in the first place: working hard, seeing results and being considered a champion.

With only eight months left until I graduate, I feel as if I’ve started to realize why everything in my past has led me to where I am now. Through the ups and downs, sports were always the common denominator. More importantly, USF has opened so many doors in the business world, but even more importantly, it helped me grow as a person. Without my retirement, I probably wouldn’t be attending USF. Without USF, I wouldn’t have worked for the Pacifics. Without the Pacifics, who knows when I would have experienced another winning feeling.

Sometimes it takes a moment like this to reflect on why things happen the way they do. With eight months left until graduation, I don’t know what will happen in the future, but I know they’ll put me in the place I’m supposed to be.

2011 Regional Champions - University of Arkansas

2014 San Rafael Pacifics - Pacific Association Champions

August Updates

Ever since I was little, I've always thought of August as a new start. Mainly because that's usually when school starts, or at least it did for me from elementary up until college. As I've explained in previous posts, the Sport Management program at USF is a little different. Even though I've been in school all summer, I still anticipate a new adventure or beginning of some sort in August.

In the last month, I've been on a whirlwind of an adventure. To start, about every two years the Sports Management program plans an international trip that counts as an elective class. With the addition of Dr. Michael Goldman from South Africa, students from multiple cohorts will be given the opportunity to study abroad in January. I was lucky enough to be chosen, so I will be starting off the new year in South Africa! I will definitely be blogging about the experience in January.

Last week, my cohort and I started a new class, 'Social Media in Sports & Entertainment'. Our professor is Brian Srabian, the Director of Digital Media for the San Francisco Giants. Being in the Bay Area not only allows me to meet and work with so many great people, but learn from the best as well (how many programs have staff from a professional team teaching classes!?). To say the least, with my love for baseball and social media, this is about to be a fun eight weeks for me.

Speaking of baseball, I went on my last baseball trip of the season down to Los Angeles to see the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. Being in SoCal and knowing some classmates from the Orange cohort (C15S), I invited three of them to the game. I think having a class in SoCal is a unique aspect of the program because it expands our network as students even more.

Orry Night, Julio Alcaraz, Ryan Morse, and I

Finally, with baseball season winding down and football beginning, back in May I reached out to the San Francisco 49ers communications department, just wanting to pick the brains of their staff, learning about what their day to day jobs are like. I asked basic informational interview questions, the kinds I asked back the first class I had with Dr. Cellini. After a few e-mails and understanding football media and getting to know them, I basically asked if there were any opportunities for me to either shadow or work game days to have first hand experience. To my surprise, they agreed to bring me on board to allow me to learn and give me that opportunity!

Press Box View at Levi's Stadium

I've learned to never be afraid to reach out because you never know what could happen. Knowing the 49ers are a top and well-known organization, I assumed they already had people in line to work the games, not thinking someone like me who sent a random e-mail would be welcomed. Turns out my assumptions were wrong. Whether you're in the Bay Area or taking courses else where, always reach out! Even if it doesn't lead to a job, making that connection could help you in the long run.

Until next time... :)

Last Year, Best Year

Hi everyone! 

I am posting from Paramount Studios in Hollywood, I'm on location for Pac-12 Football Media Days. I'm about halfway through day one and it has been an awesome experience so far. I knew I would be traveling a few weeks ago, so I was able to talk to my professor in advance letting him know about this trip. All of the professors are very helpful and understanding when we miss class for work and are always willing to meet on another day to catch you up on material you missed! It definitely puts less stress on me because I have never been one to miss class. The professors really understand your work schedule or if you have cool opportunities to travel, so they are willing to do anything to help.

For this blog post, I wanted to focus on the upcoming year I have left in California. I know two blog posts ago I wrote about my last year in a review, so I’ll try and not do that again. But every time I think about it, I can’t wrap my head around the fact I’ll graduate with my Master’s degree in 10 months. It’s so cliché to say, but time has seriously flown and if you get to be a part of this amazing program, cherish and take in every single moment! It’s seriously been the best year of my life and I’m so excited for this next one.

For those who don’t know me well or haven’t picked up on my interests through previous blog posts, one thing I really like to do is travel and explore new things. At the beginning of June, I decided to go on a new adventure with a fellow classmate, Nicole Loscavio, and move to the East Bay. She was living about an hour and a half from San Francisco and got a super, amazing job with Levi’s and needed to be closer to the city. I was previously living with Alyssa Nakken and Madeleine Larsen (also in my class) in San Francisco in the Outer Sunset neighborhood. We lived three blocks from the beach and were far away from the heart of downtown, which was great. It was so quiet and peaceful in comparison to the area I worked.

With my lease coming to an end and only a year (potentially) left in California, I definitely wanted to experience something new, and the East Bay was where I felt most comfortable. Even though I live on the other side of the Bay Bridge, getting to downtown San Francisco is a lot easier than commuting from Outer Sunset. Also, the East Bay is a lot cheaper than the city. So, for those of you looking at this program or those who were already accepted and are looking for a place to live, the East Bay is definitely doable. Even though you’re across the bridge, public transportation makes it all really easy to get places.

Going along with adventures, I decided to take on a challenge of getting another job during the summer since my work at Pac-12 Networks is a little slow. I’m halfway done with my first season as the media relations assistant of the San Rafael Pacifics Baseball Club. My classmate, Vinny Espinosa, is the media relations manager, so he allowed me to come and help him out for the season. The experience has been awesome and everyone I work is amazing from the general manager to the players. It’s also a bonus getting to work with a good friend from class.

Although my time at USF is halfway over, it still feels like just yesterday I was sitting at orientation. I never would have guessed I would be doing half the things I am doing, or everything I've already done, so I can't thank USF and this program enough. If you're looking for a change or experience new things or even go back to school, I wouldn't recommend anywhere else but here.

I will definitely give updates on the next blog with whatever adventures I get into!