UNOH Student Sets her Sights on a Future Career in Sports
Posted on Wednesday, August 04, 2021
UNOH Student Dustyn Rivera
Written by Communications Specialist Georgia Beard
“I originally got into LSU to go into their Sport Marketing and Management program, but I just couldn’t financially afford it,” Dustyn Rivera stated. “My cousin was going to UNOH and told me that they had the program here. So, I applied and was accepted. It was honestly the best decision I ever made, both financially and academically.”
Dustyn grew up in a New Jersey sports-orientated family. She was unable to participate in sports herself, but still found ways to incorporate sports into her life. In high school Dustyn managed teams starting with football her freshman year, and then evolving to manage wrestling, baseball, soccer, volleyball, and basketball. “I just completely fell in love with managing and behind the scenes of sports and things that people don’t normally do,” she said. “That’s what I wanted to do for a career.”
Once the journey to UNOH started, that is when Dustyn’s passion for athletics grew even deeper. She stated, “Freshman year, Professor Gunder and Ms. Etzkorn, repeated to us constantly: ‘Know people. Reach out. Be a good worker. Be kind. Do what you know that you need to do. Make good connections with these people.’” Dustyn took these words to heart and recognized that networking is the key for her future career.
Despite being from a different state, Dustyn created connections and found an internship her freshman year at Riverdale High School. She worked hard and it paid off because when the offense head coach moved to a larger team at Findlay High School, he asked Dustyn to manage that team. “It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of early mornings,” Dustyn said. “But it’s awesome. Running a Friday night football game is just a whole different experience. And it definitely helps me grow as a person and prepares me for my actual career.”
Dustyn not only manages the team outside her schoolwork, but she is also taking advantage of opportunities offered by the program. During the 2021 NFL Draft, Dustyn worked the draft alongside her UNOH classmates. “I was on the Cleveland Browns field, working with their training camp with little kids and these professional coaches,” Dustyn explained. “I also had the ability to go and see the draft and the draft stage. It was amazing.” The two days were full of not only work, but experiences and memories.
The Sport Marketing and Management program offers many other opportunities that Dustyn can take advantage before she graduates in 2022. Outside the classroom, the program visits different sport venues, from motorsport speedways to athletic training facilities, where students can tour and get behind the scenes knowledge of these different career prospects within the sport industry. There are also larger opportunities available such as volunteering at the Super Bowl, MLB All-Star Game, and more!
“My dream is to either work in the NFL or be an athletic director, which are two very different pathways to follow, but that’s definitely my dream. That’s where I want to be in five years,” Dustyn shared. Between her passion for football and sports, to her dedication to her work, UNOH looks forward to seeing where Dustyn finds herself in the future.
Category: Business, Health, and Occupational Professions
Keywords: Sport Marketing and Management
