"This course broke a glass ceiling that I had for myself."

Contents

1. Initial Goals and Expectations
2. Course Effectiveness
3. Skills and Knowledge Acquired
4. Professional Impact
5. Future Goals

SECTION 1: INITIAL GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS

What specific goals or objectives did you have in mind when you enrolled in this course?

When enrolling for the course, my goals were to, one, secure a role in the sports business, and then I also wanted to network with other people that were also interested in working in sports and make those connections – because you never know where those lead. And once I saw who the teachers were, I was super interested in learning more. And once I knew that I was going to have the ability to speak with them and reach out to them if I had any extra questions or wanted any feedback, I was really thrilled.

What were your expectations for this course in terms of professional development or career advancement?

I was interested in sponsorships and partnerships, but my sports experience wasn't with that specifically. It was more general, in marketing or community relations. I really just wanted to get an understanding of what it looks like to work in sponsorships and partnerships, and what type of work I would be doing – what the expectations would be, basically the ins and outs of the day in the life of someone who's working in corporate partnerships. About professional development, I was telling Chris that I felt like, based on what I learned in class, I felt really prepared for the role that I'm in now. And I think that just speaks to how thorough everything was, like going over all the different aspects of a deal. So, overall feeling more comfortable and not feeling like a fish out of water once I secured a role.

SECTION 2: COURSE EFFECTIVENESS

On a scale from 1 to 5, how well did the course help you achieve your initial goals?

5

Can you provide specific examples of how the course content or activities aligned with your initial goals?

I think a big focus that Scott and Chris had was that there's a lot of different jobs in sports, and everyone wants to work for a big team or a big league in the NFL, NBA and MLB, but there's a lot of different options to get your foot in the door. And so, me taking a closer look at multimedia rights companies and their roles, I would say was a big part of that.

SECTION 3: SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED

What specific skills or knowledge did you gain from this course that directly contributed to achieving your goals?

I would definitely say understanding contracts, and just going over all the different assets that you would find at a property, got me prepared, because I got thrown right into it in my current role. So just having a basic understanding of the different terminology that was going to be used in the role definitely helped.

How have you applied these skills or knowledge in your work or other professional situations?

In class, we had to come up with a marketing plan and a brand strategy. Obviously the project has a scope, but because it was pretty broad and we could come up with whatever we wanted, I think it definitely got the creative juices flowing. Just being able to take some of my ideas and being able to apply them at a company that actually has a budget to do out-of-the-box things. I think that definitely helps.

SECTION 4: PROFESSIONAL IMPACT

Have you noticed any changes in your confidence levels?

100%. Being in a space where you're unemployed and the job market is extremely tough – I think class definitely instilled confidence in me, helping me feel more prepared, and just being more ready. Because when you're not consistently in a work environment, you can just lose it a little bit. So, having to be accountable to something, going to class, doing assignments, I think it definitely helps.

SECTION 5: FUTURE GOALS

How has this course influenced or shaped your future professional goals?

This course broke a glass ceiling that I had for myself… I could start now in sponsorships and partnerships, but then either bring that specific skill to maybe a brand or maybe a team. There's just so many different options. And I think when you're just not knowledgeable about all the different options that are out there, and how things connect, and how, even though you may not have a specific skill in something, the skills that you've had from past work experience can apply. So I think that definitely opens my mind up.

Are there any additional skills or knowledge you would like to acquire to further pursue your goals?

Being introduced to contracts in class. I would definitely like to explore the legal aspect of partnerships more and understand more specifically how agreements are made and what goes into that. And also I would be interested in the numbers side – the data of impressions and clicks and how a company like Sponsor United would establish a price for something like that.