Thursday, August 30, 2012

Meet the Class of 2014: Theo Trotman

Each fall, the DeVos Program welcomes a new group of enthusiastic, socially responsible, and productive young sport business professionals into its family. In an ongoing series, we will be highlighting the students of the Class of 2014. Welcome to DeVos!

Name: Theo Trotman

Hometown: St. George, Barbados

Undergraduate School & Major: Texas Christian University (TCU), Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Economics

Past Sport Industry Experience: Sports Marketing Intern at TCU Athletics Department (Jan-May 2012), Facility Team Leader at TCU Campus Recreation (May 2011-2012)

Current GA or Sport Internship/Job: Graduate Research Assistant, The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport

Reasons for choosing the DeVos Program: I chose this Program because it offers the opportunity to earn a Master in Sport Business Management, in addition to being a candidate for a Master of Business Administration for a dual degree. Additionally, the DeVos Program provides an environment that provides the necessary facilities and resources necessary to experience the sport industry.

Future Career Ambitions: I wish to be an administrator within collegiate sports, whether it's in marketing/sales operations or academic services.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why Flying because it would make travelling a whole lot easier.

If you could trade jobs with anybody alive right now, who would it be and why? Any of the commentators of the College GameDay (College Football) show because it looks like they genuinely enjoy hosting the show and also embrace the unique and exciting atmosphere at all the different colleges they visit.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Meet the Class of 2014: Nathan Kinkopf

Each fall, the DeVos Program welcomes a new group of enthusiastic, socially responsible, and productive young sport business professionals into its family. In an ongoing series, we will be highlighting the students of the Class of 2014. Welcome to DeVos!

1. Name: Nate Kinkopf

2. Hometown: Euclid, OH

3. Undergraduate School & Major: The Ohio State University - Sports Management, Business minor

4. Previous Experience in Sports Industry: Facility ops and membership services at the Recreation and Physical Activity Center, OSU's main campus rec facility

5. Current GA or Internship: Graduate Assistant for The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES)

6. Why did you choose the DeVos Program? Core values, stresses good relationships/teamwork, and the prestige of our Directors

7. Career Aspirations: I would like to work in collegiate athletic administration as an AD one day. I would like to help develop student athletes and have a positive effect on their career goals.

8. If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose and why? I would want to be able to teleport (if that's a super power), so I could get to all the Buckeyes and Browns games and back this fall.

9. If you could trade jobs with anyone in the world, who would it be and why? I would trade jobs with whoever wins the Presidency this fall so that I could abolish the two-party system and try to restore some value to the U.S. dollar before it is literally worth nothing. If that's too political, I would like to trade with Gene Smith so I could run one of the greatest athletic departments in the country (at clearly the greatest university in the country).

Friday, August 24, 2012

Hope for Stanley - August 2012

Each August, the DeVos Sport Business Management Program holds its new class orientation in the city of New Orleans to rebuild from Hurricane Katrina. Although the general public perception is that the rebuilding process is close to being finished, New Orleans still needs a tremendous amount of help. Dr. Lapchick made a commitment in 2006 to this city, and the Program sends students there 3-4 times per year. On top of the phenomenal community service that the group participates in, the trip acts as a way for the new students to get to know one another, the Directors, and the older class.

For the older class, the Class of 2013 in this case, the trip serves as the last Hope for Stanley trip as a class. D13 is entering their final semester at UCF before starting their internships and jobs. For each class, it is a humbling experience and a way to create tangible benefits for a great cultural city. Below are some quotes from some students that went on the trip. Also, be sure to check out photos from the trip on the Hope for Stanley Alliance's facebook page.

Class of 2014:

Holly Mercier: "Hope for Stanley is a great experience to make an impact in a city that is still in need of assistance but is too often forgotten. To be able to lend a hand to such a strong community was truly an honor. I was reminded of the responsibility that we all have to one another as human beings and the great things we can accomplish when we all work together. The Hope for Stanley trip was truly a life-changing experience."

Angie O'Flaherty: "Giving back to the community of New Orleans was an amazing experience! I never knew how much assistance the city still needed after seven years. I am grateful to have had the opportunity."

Class of 2013:

Orlando Gunn: Regarding the Breaux House & homeowner Ms. Donna- "It's been 7 long years. Seven years since she could call what she lived in her home. Seven years since seeing what matters most to her be shared with neighbors she's known since the age of five. From state to state, she's tried to make do, but in her heart of hearts, she knew no other placed but New Orleans would do. With our help, whether it was sweeping saw dust, measuring dry wall, or drilling into the ceiling, Ms. Donna along with her husband Larry were assured that others will come home as well."

Steve Thiel: "I could not have imagined a better trip to serve as my final Hope for Stanley experience while in the DeVos Program. The group I was a part of worked on the largest and oldest house that St. Bernard Project has ever supervised. When we arrived, our site supervisor told us that the site had to be finished by the time we left. Through the hard work of the group, we were able to accomplish that goal, and finished the home that had had volunteers working on it since February. New Orleans will always have a special place in my heart thanks to these Hope for Stanley trips."

Friday, August 3, 2012

DeVos Students "Deliver the Dream"

Background: As DeVos students, we have a community service requirement each semester that we must fulfill while in the program. While each of the first three semesters has a required number of hours to fulfill (40, 42, 10), the final semester’s requirement is to participate in a weekend-long camp focusing on individuals with disabilities, or life-altering medical conditions. Deliver the Dream is an example of one of those camps, specifically focusing on families with a member battling a serious illness. As of July 20th, the Class of 2013 has completed 3,625.5 hours of service, with many more to come. Here are two students’ thoughts on their experience at Deliver the Dream.

Rahman:

Deliver the Dream was exactly that. I felt that we as volunteers did our best to deliver the dream to the mothers and fathers that opened up and trusted us with their children. I quickly realized how seldom the parents of my assigned family were able to simply hold hands. They were always so busy with their 5-year-old daughter who has cerebral palsy and their two year old who had more energy than three volunteers combined. So as I, and a fellow classmate chased and watched over our two angels for the weekend, it warmed my heart to get to see them spend time with each other and really just let their hair down. It put a lot into perspective for me as I realized having children is both a rewarding and continual gift. I will never forget Emma And Joey.

Claire:

After the first day, I immediately began to shut down. It had already been a long week and there were a million things going through my head. All I could think was, I can't handle this for two more days.

After sitting down with my roommate for the weekend however, we both helped each other put things into perspective. The entire weekend was about being selfless. Our biggest struggle was to step outside of ourselves and really focus on our families. It taught me to really look outside of myself and make this weekend about my little girl with cerebral palsy, Maryn. When I started to look at things with that perspective, I was able to gain so much more then I originally expected to. I admired these parents and their incredible strength. No one planned for this to happen, but they stuck by their kids and it brought a warmth to my heart that can't be explained. To say the least, it was truly a humbling experience. It made me appreciate simple things such as being able to help myself. I'd recommend this camp to anyone. It was probably one of the hardest weekends I've worked both physically and emotionally, but the benefits and lessons I learned far exceeded the hours of time I gave.

About the Authors:

Rahman Anjorin is currently a member of the 2013 DeVos Class. His graduate career is preceded by completing his Exercise Science degree at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA. After graduating from the DeVos Program, Rahman hopes to transition into Player Engagement and Athlete Development. Feel free to contact him at ranjori1@gmail.com

Claire Burnett is a current member of the Class of 2013. She graduated with a degree in Advertising/Public Relations from the University of Central Florida and hopes to work in brand activation and experiential marketing upon completion of the DeVos Program. You can follow her on twitter @_ClaireMia