The Oct. 12 forum’s student panel shared lessons from internships with NASCAR, the Boston Red Sox and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, highlighting the value of hands-on experience, professional connections, and stepping outside their comfort zones.
On his first day working guest services during FIFA soccer matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Zach Smith ’27 discovered that he didn’t know the sprawling venue’s layout all that well.
With only a brief stadium tour during his internship training, the sport management major struggled to locate certain sections while helping fans find their seats. Determined to be better prepared, Smith arrived an hour early for his next shift to explore the stadium and familiarize himself with its layout.
That initiative became one of the most valuable lessons of his summer internship.
“In my experience, I was kind of expected to learn as I go, or even teach myself a lot of things,” Smith said. “It was a lot less structured. There wasn’t a professor, you know, telling me you have to turn this in at this time.”
Smith shared his story during the Sport Management Internship Forum on Oct. 12, joining fellow students Jack Gill ’27 and Sydney Moore ’27 for a panel discussion about navigating the sport industry, overcoming workplace challenges, and building professional relationships. To view photos from the forum, visit the school’s Flickr account.
Held in Turner Theatre and the Snow Family Grand Atrium, the annual forum brought together students and faculty to discuss internships and explore potential career paths. Moderated by Skyler Cook ’28, the student panel offered a firsthand look at working behind the scenes for prominent sport organizations.
Learning beyond the classroom
For Gill, a senior from Frederick, Maryland, an internship with NASCAR Productions allowed him to combine his interests in motorsports and media.
Gill secured the position while participating in The Sport Experience in Charlotte, drawing on his relationship with Associate Dean Tony Weaver and his involvement in campus media activities.
Once at NASCAR, he quickly recognized that the expectations of a professional production environment differed from those of the classroom.
While his coursework had introduced him to Adobe Premiere Pro, Gill needed to sharpen his editing skills to meet the demands of the position. He learned that asking questions and seeking guidance from colleagues were essential parts of professional growth.
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you’re at your job, at your internship, because there’s no shame in it,” Gill said.
The internship reinforced the importance of punctuality, preparation and accountability. Gill has since expanded his motorsports journalism work, including covering a NASCAR race in Richmond, Virginia, where he interviewed drivers alongside established industry reporters.
Moore, a sport management and psychology double major from Wellesley, Massachusetts, spent the summer working in community relations for the Boston Red Sox.
Her responsibilities ranged from hosting community groups before games at Fenway Park to participating in events around Boston. Some workdays stretched from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., a significant adjustment from the predictable schedule of college classes.
Still, Moore found that some of her most rewarding moments came when she volunteered for assignments outside her regular duties. She assisted with ticketing, marketing, concerts and the organization’s charitable foundation, gaining a broader understanding of the many career paths available to her.
“Those were honestly like the best moments I have for my entire summer because it not only introduced me to so many other people that I got to work with, but also like it really connected me to the other interns in my program who are still some of my best friends,” Moore said.
Finding direction through internships
The forum opened with a keynote address from Anthony Bamford ’25, coordinating producer for Elon Sports Vision, who reflected on how internships helped shape his career interests.
Before returning to his alma mater, Bamford interned with the Atlantic Coast Conference and Durham Bulls, gaining exposure to different areas of the sport industry, from game operations and event management to live production.
During his time with the ACC, Bamford helped coordinate officiating logistics and game-day operations. One of his biggest responsibilities involved leading approximately 30 volunteers for activities at the ACC Football Championship. The assignment challenged him to become a more confident leader, particularly when directing volunteers who were older and more experienced.
Bamford encouraged students to look beyond the résumé-building benefits of internships, noting that they can also open doors to research, networking and career exploration.
“Just because your internship ends doesn’t mean what you’re doing as an intern has to end,” Bamford said. “It’s all stuff you can carry over and keep moving forward.”
Following the presentations in Turner Theatre, students gathered in the Snow Family Grand Atrium for an informal networking session featuring internship presentations.
Nearly 50 student interns were listed as participants, representing organizations across professional and collegiate sports, media, marketing, community recreation and event management. Their placements included the Cincinnati Reds, FOX Sports, Atlantic Coast Conference, D.C. United, PGA Tour Live and numerous other organizations.
Student Interns
Caleb Albert – American Junior Golf Association (AJGA)
Laila Anderson – Baller Sports Agency
Henry Anning – Cincinnati Reds
Grace Carabillo – Northside Youth Organization
Brodie Carroll – Elon Athletics
Hannah Chandler – Danville Otterbots
Andrew Cox – Element 78 Experiences
Tyler Craig – Richmond Kickers
Seth Cushinsky – Gastonia Ghost Peppers
John Drape – Octagon, FIFA World Cup
Maddie Engelkraut – Fox Sports NYC
Jack Farmer – Bourne Braves
Luke Forrester – Nike Tennis Camp/Pepperdine University
Madi Galindo – Peak Sport Management, Wofford College
Jack Griffin – Hurricane Junior Golf Tour
Jonah Grossman – SunBelt Baseball League
Tone Hart – Alamance County YMCA
Jack Hayes – Queen City SC
Zoey Hayes – Atlantic Coast Conference
Eric Jones – Alamance Community College Youth Summer Camp
Owen Kelley – Salvation Army Burlington
Nhycer Kelly – Salvation Army Burlington
Wynne Kenna – Joe Favorito
Nate Kennedy – RBC Wealth Management
Martin Kozak – Hickory FC
Ari Lloyd-Farber – Brewster Whitecaps
Jackson Marcus – WAVY 10
Kaitlin Mariani – Elon Athletics
Emma Mayo – Breezemont Summer Camp
Justin Miles – PGA Tour Live
Logan Miller – FIFA World Cup/NAPA Auto
Sydney Moore – Boston Red Sox
Ryan Nedwed – Burlington Sock Puppets
Alex Neuman – IMG Licensing
Anna Pfeiffer – High Point Rockers
Lincoln Proops – Prospect Select Baseball
Will Riggs – Zawyer Sports
Liv Roellke – Burlington United FC
Lily Rosenberg – Danbury Westerners
Ryan Shorten – Durham Bulls
Noah Stephenson – The Sports and Entertainment Group
Nate Sterling – All the Smoke Productions
Aiden Stuart – Foundation Management & Pro-productions Inc.
Jack Taggard – Danville Otterbots
Joe Taylor – Salem City FC
Abby Waeltz – Flex Works Sports
Holden Warsham – Lake Norman Harbor Hippos
Zimere Winston – Elon Athletics
Mia Zebley – DC United
Jacob Zik – Body Focus Performance
Carena Ziolkowski – Danvers Indoor Sports