1. Did you always want to come to Wichita State? Being that I am from Wichita, I always kept in mind that Wichita State was here but I wanted to try and move away for college. I did a lot of research on sport management programs at other universities in the mid-west but never imagined that WSU would have such an impressive program. I had no idea WSU had a sport management program until one day I decided to just check. After one day of doing a little research I was sold, I knew then that Wichita State was the best choice for me.
2. What has your experience been as a Resident Assistant? Being an RA has been an all around great learning experience for me. I never imagined I would live in the residence halls since I am from Wichita and it is cheaper to live at home but living on campus was one of the best experiences for me. Being able to be right here in the middle of campus all the time and be involved in what is going on is awesome. What makes it even better is the fact that I can help residence get involved. Being here for the residents and helping them get involved and be successful at WSU is the best part of being an RA.
3. Can you tell us a little bit about how you landed your internship this upcoming summer? I have talked to Jared Silsby, a WSU graduate, several times about his job and asked him for advice on internships and experiences because he is in the same field I want to be in, facilities management. He gave me great advice and also suggested that I talk to Dr. Clay Stoldt to get advice and possibly help guide me towards an internship because he is one of the people that helped Jared during his time at WSU. Dr. Stoldt gave me extremely beneficial advice and helped me send my resume up to people he knows at Sporting Kansas City. I got called for an interview and, after following some pointers from my professors, got offered an internship with their stadium operations staff. This goes to show how important connections and a good recommendation are and how special the sport management department is at WSU; they do everything they can to help students succeed. This is an incredible opportunity for me and I thank Dr. Stoldt and all the staff of the sport management department for their dedication to helping student succeed and willingness to help me advance towards my career goals.
4. What has been your favorite experience of Wichita State so far? My favorite experience here at WSU happened on a trip to the Oklahoma City Thunder career fair last year with the sport management student association. I got done talking to organizations a little early and stuck up a conversation with a gentleman on the basketball court. After talking for a bit I found out he is in charge of the replay systems and is an assistant producer for the TV broadcast of the game. He showed me the TV truck and how it worked. He also showed me the infrastructure the arena has to support media and TV productions. This was a fun experience for me and really showed me how important it is to just introduce yourself, talk, and have a genuine conversation with someone. One of my other favorite experiences has nothing to do with sport management but was a good learning experience for me. My first year at WSU I served as the Freshman Senator in Student Government. This gave me a good understanding for how The University works and also the impact that students can have on decision making here at WSU.
5. What advice do you have for students? You hear it from the start of middle school and you will never stop hearing it. Get involved. It does not have to deal with your major or your career. Getting to know people and make friends will make your college experience so much better. I have made life long friends from being involved on campus. It is also a great networking tool, I have had opportunities to meet and have conversations with important people and have even gained scholarship money from being involved on campus. It may get old hearing it but it is the best advice for any student at any grade level. Also, do what you love. There are countless career options in this world so you should never have a job that you don't love and have passion for. Don't think that just because you start in one major or career path means you have to keep going in it. If you don't love it then you should explore until you find what drives you.