STHM Internship Experience: Six Weeks, 18 Holes, One Memorable Summer
By: Hannah Eadie
First Published: November 5, 2018
Topics: Industry Partnerships, Sport, STHM School, Student Stories
As a football and basketball lover, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) student Ally Esposito never pictured herself working for a golf organization. But this summer Ally stepped outside of her comfort zone and worked as an Operations Intern for the U.S. Golf Association (USGA).
The USGA annually hosts the U.S. Open, an international golf tournament for both amateur and professional golfers. STHM alumna Kamille Ramos, Manager of Inclusion and Talent Acquisition at the USGA, spoke about the organization and the internship opportunity in one of Ally’s courses. Kamos’ pitch sparked Ally’s interest and a few months later, she was living in South Hampton, New York preparing for the 2018 U.S Open.
Ally’s daily tasks constantly varied, ranging from prepping the course itself to making sure the vendors and sponsors were well taken care of. All in all, her main responsibility was ensuring that the U.S. Open ran smoothly.
After the six weeks Ally spent preparing for the U.S. Open, her time at her internship came to a bittersweet end.
“On the last hole, we got to stand inside the ropes and we were feet away from Brooks Koepkal when he won the tournament,” Ally exclaimed. “It was really cool to really be right there and see all of our hard work, on TV, pay off.”
This experience has broadened Ally’s perspective of the sport industry, and how expansive it really is. As a result, Ally sees the value of trying new things and taking risks.
“I think that in the future I’m really going to widen my opportunities,” Ally stated. “I realized I can do anything I put my mind to, so I just figure why not take chances and just try.”
Watch the video to hear more about Ally’s experience at the U.S. Open.
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