Photo by Berkley Mason
Pepperdine’s Sports Business Administration club launched the MVP Speaker Series, which will serve as a resource for students to gain networking experience and meet representatives from leading Sports Businesses such as Nike, Patagonia and more.
“The sports industry itself is very competitive,” senior and Co-President of Sports Business Administration Andrew Park said. “Everyone wants to work in sports today because it’s very exciting, and a lot of people are passionate about it.”
The MVP Speaker Series kicked off last night in CCB 100, with four speakers from various prominent sports companies. Cayden Boyd, senior and co-president of SBA, said the first session included multiple panelists who work in the sports industry.
According to Boyd, the first session included a social media specialist from Patagonia, a sales representative from AEG Sports, a chairman of USA Volleyball and a marketing manager from Nike.
Aside from the networking opportunity, students who attend the sessions will be entered into a drawing to win a pair of Powerbeats Wireless2 Headphones. The last three sessions of the MVP Speaker Series will be in CCB 100 at 8 p.m. on Jan. 27, Feb. 10 and Feb. 24.
SBA will hold a Q&A session to give students the opportunity to ask the representatives questions about their careers. Park and Boyd said they are excited about the 15 speakers who will be speaking this month, with high hopes that the sessions will inspire students to take advantage of these networking opportunities.
With a shared passion for sports, seniors and co-presidents Park and Boyd have committed to arranging a weekly panel of sports representatives who will devote their time to networking with students and sharing the experiences that led them to their careers.
Park and Boyd said their career ambitions inspired them to launch the MVP Speaker Series.
“The dream for me would be to work in the front office for the Dallas Cowboys,” Park said. He hopes to accomplish this goal through the networking events that the MVP Speaker Series affords students.
Boyd said he is interested in pursuing a career in the digital marketing world to find leads for businesses and managing their social media presence.
“I’ve had two previous internships that have been related to all of these skills, and so an ideal organization to work for would be a company like Patagonia or Nike,” Boyd said.
Boyd said he believes that the MVP Speaker Series is a great experience for students: “Students have the opportunity to introduce themselves to the speakers at these sessions, and even get into further contact with the speaker.”
Senior and SBA Communications Chair Tori Vollmer said she is eager to be a part of an organization that is dedicated to helping students who are passionate about sports business.
“The MVP Speaker Series provides students with an alternative path towards accomplishing their goals,” Vollmer said. “We are trying to broaden the idea of sports business by delivering those connections for students.”
Everyone is encouraged to attend the final three sessions, especially those seeking to find a professional internship or job opportunity in the sports business world.
“Being able to connect students to these professionals is really cool,” Vollmer said. “Being able to see people grow in the professional world is something we are really excited about.”
For more information about SBA or the MVP Speaker Series, contact waves.sba@gmail.com.
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Follow Vanessa Dillon on Twitter: @v_nicoledillon
