Meet The Class 2011 - Rita

One of the unique attributes of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program is the network of students who make up our program. Our class will take every course together during our tenure here at UCF and we will work on countless group projects and collaborative efforts. As a result of our shared interests in the business of sport, a natural team camaraderie is formed. However, our team is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. We offer profiles of class members to give you an idea as to the type of people who make up our program, individuals who collectively will be leaders in sport and society and will be teammates for life.

Name: Rita D. Grayson

Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana

Undergraduate School & Major: Francis Marion University-Business Management

Past Sports Industry Experiences: NIFL (National Indoor Football League) Game Day Operations Intern/Administrative Assistant

Current G.A. or Sports Industry Related Internship/Job: Graduate Assistant National Consortium for Academics and Sports(NCAS); Orlando Magic Will Call; Varsity Girls Basketball Coach Maynard Evans High School

Reasons for Choosing the DeVos Program: Highly recognized sports business management program in the world, ability to get two master degree’s which will broaden my opportunities in the job market, the values and culture of the DeVos program, and the DeVos program being headed by a racial pioneer, someone who sacrificed himself for others.

Future Career Ambitions: I am going to work in basketball operations, which will lead me to being an athletic director, and ultimately opening my own gym (academy) for the youth. Throughout each career, I will make a difference in the lives of our future.

If you could play a round of golf with any three sports figures (dead or alive, on the field or off) who would you choose and why? Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, and John Wooden. All three of them were the epitome of hard work, commitment, and consistency, and I would like to play a sport that we all aren’t good at(Michael may have a few skills) because it will be about our mental ability rather than physical and because they have it mentally, it will challenge me to get it. I believe it would be a life changing experience.