I began my master’s program straight out of college. However, after two more years of school while earning my M.S. from Penn State, I wanted some practical experience in addition to my academic training. In 2014 I completed an intership at Citi Field under Bill Deacon before moving on to two management positions in professional baseball, with the Gwinnett Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates. I also worked one year building and renovating baseball fields in my home state of Wisconsin.
I understand the daily grind of being a sports turf manager and continue to lean heavily on this practical experience. This enhances the value of my academic training because I have a healthy sense of how it relates to the real world.