The sport management major, who recently completed an internship with the Super Bowl-winning Rams, credits School of Communications faculty and staff for putting her in a position to achieve her professional goals.
As blue and yellow confetti fell at the conclusion of Super Bowl LVI, covering the turf of SoFi Stadium, members of the Los Angeles Rams gathered to celebrate their championship. Among those taking in the moment were Reagan Palombo ’24. But the sport management major and Communications Fellow wasn’t in Los Angeles as a fan, she was on the clock.
As part of the Elon in Los Angeles program, the Greensboro native landed an internship with the Rams – the NFL champions – for the fall 2021 semester. It was an incredible opportunity for someone who has wanted to work in professional football since she was a youngster.
According to Palombo, she has been a Rams fan for as long as she can remember. “My dad grew up a Rams fan, so naturally my siblings and I did as well. Football Sundays were holidays in my house,” she said.
Indoctrinated into football at an early age, Palombo eventually started working for her high school’s varsity football team, assisting coaches, taking pictures and running the program’s social media accounts. Once she arrived on Elon’s campus, Palumbo continued working in football, serving as an operations intern for Elon’s football program. Eventually, her continued desire to work in football – and some support from Elon – landed her a role with the Rams.
While in Los Angeles, Palombo handled a variety of tasks during her semester-long internship, attending staff marketing meetings, contributing to community events and running football camps. She enjoyed the hands-on experience – especially on Sundays.
“Game days were by far the most fun for me,” Palombo said. “I had pre- and post-game duties, but I didn’t actually have a specific in-game role. This was nice because I got to sit on the sideline or choose another spot in the stadium to watch the game. It definitely was an ‘it is what you make of it’-type internship.”
Looking back, Palombo said she chose Elon because she felt the school could best make her aspirations a reality.
“Hearing about Elon’s program in Los Angeles during my Fellows interview was what ultimately sold me on this place,” she said. “I said I was going to go to LA and work for the Rams. Of course, it wasn’t as easy as just saying it, but it all worked out.”
Palombo credits the Elon faculty and staff for their endless support in helping students achieve their goals. She singled out Associate Dean of the School of Communications Tony Weaver for his assistance getting her in the position to celebrate the Rams’ Super Bowl victory up close.
“Dr. Weaver was the first person I met when I came to Elon and has not left my side since then,” she said. “Way back when, he was the one who convinced me to come here, and my dreams of this place have been nothing short of my expectations. He not only connected me with the right people, but guided me every step of my journey.”
Weaver described Palombo as “laser-focused” when it came to reaching her goal to work in the NFL, and he said he was thrilled that Elon was able to help her achieve it. “We have a great program in LA, led by J McMerty, and aided by local alumni and parents, that are ready and willing to help students secure relevant internships. Reagan used all of those resources to help create a perfect study-away experience, capped off by the Super Bowl,” Weaver said.
While Palombo’s ideal internship would’ve included working on the franchise’s football operations side, she said she made the most of her opportunity contributing to the marketing department.
“I didn’t get in on the football side, but I connected with coaches, football operations and player affairs people to really enhance my experience,” she said. “I watched so much film on my own so I would be prepared for the time I had to talk with coaches. I had meetings, phone calls and Zooms with these people and built some amazing relationships. They are the best in the game, and it was incredible to learn from them.”
Not only was the experience beneficial for Palombo’s career development and education, she said her internship was also very personal.
“The feeling of winning a Super Bowl can’t be matched, I mean it’s the goal we all have when we go into working in football. And to do it with the team I grew up a die-hard fan of, I can’t even put into words how it made me feel,” Palombo said. “I’m not going to lie, the afterparty had to be the most fun part of the day. Celebrating myself, and also watching the players and the entire organization celebrate what we just did, was so fun.”