Why pursue an MBA (or dual degree) at this point in your life? What actions have you taken to determine that Stern is the best fit for your MBA experience? What do you see yourself doing professionally upon graduation.

Sports have always been an integral part of my life. At the age of four I began playing soccer, and captivated by the skill and teamwork the game required, I progressed up the ranks through high school where I traveled the country playing for a nationally ranked team. My affinity for soccer helped me learn that sports matter beyond wins and losses, teaching me accountability, determination and resilience. Sports even helped in a broader context when my four cousins moved in with us after a family tragedy. Initially full of grief, we bonded over soccer after my dad installed a net in our backyard. I always knew I wanted to make sports an important component of my life, and this interest led me to the Notre Dame where I studied Sport Management and held internships with the Chicago Bears and sports marketing agency, Octagon.

After graduation, working at Comcast as an Account Executive, I learned how to effectively communicate with clients, problem solve, and develop and maintain relationships. Next, to build upon what I learned at Comcast I accepted an offer from entertainment marketing firm, Talented, where I took on increased responsibility and learned to fuse client objectives with communications principles. Here, I quickly earned a promotion to manage the company’s relationships with brand and agency partners, and grow those relationships to increase billings and exposure.

Through my experiences, I have learned a great deal about sales and implementing marketing and public relations programs, but I now desire to move to the marketing and strategy side of business. I have long had an interest in the intersection of marketing and sport/entertainment, and have observed how brands can market their products utilizing these mediums to reach and connect with passionate fans, helping to transfer that passion into affinity for, and loyalty to the brands. I am interested in developing how companies create that brand preference and loyalty.

My long-term goal is to lead a sport/entertainment marketing firm, such as IMG, where I will guide Fortune 500 companies on a sport/entertainment marketing strategy, including how to best achieve marketing objectives, grow brands and develop their business. To make this transition, I need an MBA combined with a post-MBA brand management position with a company that has a stake in the ~$500 billion global sport/entertainment business, such as PepsiCo or AB InBev. There, I will learn to solve the marketing and business challenges faced by a major sports industry stakeholder. In this role I will also learn in depth about consumer product companies, improve my leadership skills, and expand my network. An MBA from Stern is the best means to achieve my goals.

I have taken a number of steps to ensure that Stern is the best program for me. After thoroughly researching online and visiting in April 2014, I gained an understanding of the people, curriculum and facilities that make Stern unique. A General Management MBA with specializations in Marketing, Management and Strategy would prepare me for a brand management position, based on my conversation with Graduate Marketing Association Co-President, Jamie Smith (’14). Jamie also introduced me to Professors Scott Galloway’s Brand Strategy and Al Lieberman’s Business of Sport Marketing classes, which are perfect starting points for me to learn about the strategic side of sports marketing. Speaking with Tom Brady (’14), who, like me, came from an account role with a fast-growing marketing agency, I learned about the Entertainment, Media & Technology Association, which has relationships with Verizon and the NBA. I intend on taking a leadership role in the EMTA, which would benefit my transition into sports-focused brand management. I learned about the strength of the Office of Career Development from Emma Smith (’15), who spent her summer at Miller Coors with a global marketing internship. She spoke of GMA’s outstanding relationships with PepsiCo, Unilever and others, and how the OCD helped her every step of the way.

Everyone I have encountered on my numerous visits and interactions gave me a positive feeling about Stern’s culture. Students mentioned participating in clubs such as the Stern Culture Club, and collaborating on school and career work. I walked away knowing that Stern’s curriculum is perfectly suited for my interests, and that I would also fit well into the active and collaborative culture which Stern breeds outside of the classroom. For all these reasons, after becoming intimately familiar with Stern and its opportunities, I can confidently say the Stern MBA program is the ideal school for me.