Internships aren’t the only way Gulls are getting experience in their fields. A spate of networking events and opportunities—both on and off campus—are giving Gulls an inside look at their future industries while making connections there, too.
This year, marketing communication and advertising major Emma Antkowiak ’25 served as an ambassador for the Endicott chapter of the national Women in Sports and Events (WISE) organization, which facilitates events that connect women with other women in sports industry positions.
At a WISE Boston event at Puma alongside other young women representing the College, Antkowiak networked with Cosmina Schulman, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at NESN. After pitching an idea to take the Endicott WISE chapter on a tour of NESN headquarters, Schulman reached out the next day with an invitation.
This May, the students toured the studios and learned how NESN’s broadcasts come to life. The students were also given a chance to present ideas for a confidential project in progress under NESN’s women’s sports umbrella.
“We learned how to take some of NESN’s women’s initiatives and translate it into a creative opportunity for us students to flourish off of by creating a new brand presentation,” said Celia Mastromattei ’23, a sport management major with a minor in communication. “What shocked me was the small details that go into such a large corporation like NESN.”
For Antkowiak, meeting with staff from all departments gave her a chance to ask questions about life in their roles.
“Something that really stuck out to me was when Holly Burgess [WISE President and NESN Director of Traffic] gave the advice to be a self-starter,” Antkowiak said. “It’s a tough industry and, as a woman, you need to be passionate about your career every day. It is important to ask questions to stand out.”
Mastromattei said she’ll take what she learned from the trip in future positions down the road.
“Staying connected with everyone you meet and taking networking seriously at every level of your career is so important,” she added. “They emphasized to not be afraid to be your ‘authentic self’ and go after what you desire.”