BY: DANIEL GOLDBERG, NICOLE MARONEY, GREG SOKOL, AND JUSTIN McCARTHY, TAMPA ‘21
Four members of the Tampa Bay ‘21 Digital Media Team joined forces to introduce some new members to the Living Sport Family. Daniel Goldberg, Nicole Maroney, Greg Sokol, and Justin McCarthy hosted one-on-one interviews with Tampa Bay Program Participants to get to know them a little better. These participants have different backgrounds, stories, personal and professional goals.
Now that the Tampa Bay ‘21 program is coming to a close, they have all joined the Living Sport Network. The program may have only lasted a short time, but the Living Sport Family is forever. Follow along to learn more about these young sport business professionals.
KIMBERLY DIEROFF | SUNY-CORTLAND
Kimberly Dieroff is currently in her last semester of grad school at SUNY-Cortland where she is studying Sport Management. She studied at SUNY-Albany for her undergraduate degree in business. She is currently working two jobs; at a gym called Bine Health and Fitness and as a bartender at Dashers.
Kimberly has been involved in sports her entire life and the reason why she wanted to go into the sport industry is that “sports unites cities, universities and even the world.” Her dream job is to be a sport business manager. When asked what all that entailed Kimberly answered that it is a bit of everything; marketing, managing, and working with numbers. “I am most productive when I am busy,” she commented. Kimberly played soccer in college and being a college athlete can be hard to juggle everything but she loved the experience of being an athlete and as someone who is most productive when she is busy, she thrived in that environment. Her favorite sport to play is soccer and she can be found cheering on the Tampa Bay Lightning, and their affiliate team the Syracuse Crunch.
TAYLOR SALYERS | JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY
Taylor Saylers graduated from James Madison University this past December with a degree in Sport and Recreation management. What is even more impressive than graduating in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic is the fact that Taylor graduated a year and a half early.
Taylor will be moving to Winchester, Virginia to work for TTI, where she will be selling cordless power tools for Hart Tools. While it isn’t a sports industry job, Taylor commented that it has job security and seemed like the right culture fit for her. Sports has had a big influence on her life as both a participant and spectator. Taylor grew up playing field hockey and went on to participate in track and field in high school.
Taylor doesn’t know what her dream job would be but she wants to help make a difference in people’s lives. Speaking on the topic of adversity, she talked about how growing up her family wasn’t wealthy and how sports was a way to distract her from those hardships. Her favorite sport is ice hockey, and she can be found cheering on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
SPENCER HESS | MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY
Spencer Hess graduated from Mercyhurst University where she studied Psychology with a minor in Sports Studies in 2019 and went on to complete her Master’s in Organizational Leadership this past spring. She currently works for a small non-profit organization called Erie 360 as the Director of Communications. Spencer commented that she “wears whatever hat needs to be worn depending on the day.”
After Spencer was injured while playing lacrosse, she realized that she didn’t want to give sports up so she spent her time taking photos and videos of the lacrosse team, and eventually earned a position with the Mercyhurst football team. Her dream job in sports is to be the Director of Communications for a professional hockey team like the Pittsburgh Penguins or Columbus Blue Jackets.
When asked about adversity that she has faced, Spencer gave an answer that we are all familiar with. “The pandemic,” she said, “every day is a challenge and it is an experience that we have all pushed through.” Spencer can be found watching college football, more specifically the Ohio State Buckeyes. Her favorite teams are anything Ohio State and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
EMILY CANZANO | STONEHILL COLLEGE
Emily Canzano is currently getting her Master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications. Now you may be asking, what exactly is that, Emily describes it as a marketing, communications, and design program all in one.
Currently, Emily is interning for Puma. Previously, she interned with the New England Revolution soccer team. Emily has played tennis since she was a child and when she went to college she didn’t have the opportunity to play, but she knew she had to find some way to be involved with sports. She commented by saying “I wanted to find a family and new opportunities,” She found that second family by working for the football team at her school.
Emily’s dream job is to work on the football sidelines in either operations or something with marketing. When asked about any adversities that she has faced in the past she talked about being away from home at school. She found her way through that with sports because it caused her to stay at school and enjoy what she was doing. Her favorite sport to play is tennis and her favorite to watch would either be football or hockey. She emphasized that she is a HUGE New England Patriots fan and she likes the Reds as well.
DANIEL GOLDBERG | GEORGETOWN
Daniel Goldberg is currently obtaining his Master’s in Sport Industry Management from Georgetown University. He has a degree in Economics from Purdue University. Daniel does not currently hold a job, but in the past, he has interned for the Washington Football Team and the Frederick Keys who are an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.
Daniel says the reason why he got into the sports industry is that he has always had a passion for sports. When researching what goes into a sport event he saw all the different roles and that there “are so many opportunities to participate even if you aren’t physically playing in the game.” Going off of that question Daniel says that his dream job would either be in data analytics or as a general manager in football or baseball. Daniel hasn’t always had it easy in his sports career. During his sophomore year of high school, he had Tommy John Surgery which left him out of the game for a year. After that year, he never returned to the game of baseball. “Having the determination to go through that process really taught me a lot about myself,” Daniel commented about his year off.
Daniel’s favorite sports vary from season to season but if he had to choose he would say either baseball or football. His favorite sports teams are all D.C. sports teams, except he is a bigger Baltimore Oriole fan than Washington Nationals Fan.
MADYSEN KONTIO | SAGINAW VALLEY STATE
Madysen Kontio is currently a senior at Saginaw Valley State studying Business Management with a minor in Marketing. She currently works as a game day assistant at Saginaw valley where she helps out with game day operations. Madysen wanted to get into the sports industry because she played sports throughout her life and she “didn’t want to give it up yet.” She played travel basketball as a child and when she got to high school she added volleyball and softball to her forte. She currently plays club volleyball at her school. Diving deeper into her career as an athlete,
Madysen was asked what her favorite memory is; she talked about how on her basketball team everyone had their own role including herself. She said “I played a lot of defense and was responsible for getting rebounds.” On her senior night against her school’s rival, the game came down to her shooting free-throws. “I was playing a different role than what people expected of me,” she missed the first shot but ended up making the second and winning the game.
When asked about any adversities that she faced, Madysen described a situation that all of us college students may be acquainted with. Her freshman and sophomore year of college she worked as an intramural referee. She talked about having to reach out and network with people that she didn’t know. Which is a very common situation that we all face. Her dream job is to work in event planning or operations within the professional sports realm. Madysen’s favorite sports to watch are football and volleyball and to play would be either basketball, volleyball, or softball. You can find Madysen cheering on the Green Bay Packers even though she is from Michigan. When asked why she said “honestly, they are closer to where I live.”
DELIA RITCHIE | LOYOLA UNIVERSITY-CHICAGO
Delia Ritchie is a junior at Loyola University-Chicago studying Sport Management and is adding a minor in Marketing. She currently works retail at Madewell which is owned by JCrew. From an early age, she was exposed to sports; her mom introduced her to baseball and more specifically, the Chicago White Sox. Her parents had a big influence on her journey into the sports industry.
Her dream job in sports is to be a Director of Community Relations or an Event Coordinator. “I want to be behind the scenes and connect fans with their favorite teams and players.”
When asked about any adversities she has faced, Delia commented on overcoming mental health issues. “I was trying to fit a square into a circle,” said Delia. She knew she had to make changes in order to better herself and has overcome the difficulties she has faced in the past. Delia can be found cheering on the Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, and Green Bay Packers and her favorite sport is hockey.
MICHAEL WARNER | George Mason UNIVERSITY
Michael Warner received his Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from California University of Pennsylvania and his Master of Arts in Energy and Sustainability Studies. Currently working as an Athletics Event Management Assistant at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Warner stressed his desire to enhance the relationship between sports and its energy and sustainability sponsors. Instead of brainstorming how sports can benefit these specific sponsors, Warner is interested in how these sponsors can efficiently benefit sports teams and their stadiums. His inspiration for this area of study came during an interview when he was made aware of a sporting venue roof that had the ability to recycle and reuse rainwater to benefit the stadium and its consumers. Little do people know, multiple teams now have this feature installed in their stadiums.
If there were to be a skill highlighted on Warner’s resume it would be his ability to overcome challenges. Dealing with a stutter, Warner described what it was like to live with this disorder while trying to overcome the struggle of finding a job during the COVID-19 pandemic, “I found myself more concerned about what the interviewer thought about my speech rather than my actual qualities.” Realizing this fact, he worked hard and was able to overcome this fear and continues to work on his speech.
Warner is your “all-around athlete” type of guy. Playing collegiate ice hockey and dabbling in and out of sports such as lacrosse, soccer, tennis, running, and cycling; Warner can also be found with his clubs out on the golf course. He is a fan of all Washington sports teams including the Football Team, Capitals, Wizards, Nationals, and Mystics.
NICOLE MARONEY | TRINE UNIVERSITY
As a current student of Trine University studying Sport and Recreation, Nicole Maroney is one who knows how to manage her time effectively. Previously receiving her Associates Degree in Sport Management at Southwestern Michigan College, Maroney recently started a new position as a member of the ticketing operations team for the Fort Wayne Football Club. Juggling this position on top of her studies, she also helps produce the “Adventures with Aggie” podcast. Can you see how she is good with managing her time now?
Her inspiration to get into the sports industry dates all the way back to fifth grade when her uncle gifted her a book called “Best Seat in the House” by Christine Brennan. Maroney instantly began to look up to Brennan. Another person she looked up to was her older sister, who was a Division 1 hockey player at Ohio State University. Going to her sisters’ games and watching her compete, she began to grow her own love for the sport and started her own hockey career. Unfortunately, Maroney experienced a number of concussions throughout her high school career, crushing her hopes and dreams of playing collegiate hockey like her sister. Although this was the case, she was able to learn how to deal with her issues and also learned what works best for her. In all, Maroney was able to become a more positive individual.
Today, as she continues her studies and gains tremendous work experience, she fights to work towards her dream job of becoming the VP of ticket sales for a professional hockey team. Maroney is an avid Chicago sports fan, as she regularly roots on the Blackhawks and the Cubs.
JUSTIN McCARTHY | IUPUI
Justin McCarthy, a current senior at IUPUI studying Marketing and International Business, is a die-hard motorsports fan. Inspired by his father, McCarthy began racing go-karts when he was just six years old. As he grew older, he found an interest in how these motorsport events operated, and landed an event operations internship with Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As he continues to follow this industry, McCarthy dreams of working full time on the business side of motorsports. Whether it is working in the marketing department, creating new and improved ways for fans to experience races, or starting his very own race team, McCarthy aims to become a very important individual in the motorsport industry. The ultimate goal, he mentioned with a smile on his face, is to become the President of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Yet life has not come so easy for McCarthy. Just the Monday before he started his college career, McCarthy suffered the loss of his father. The man who originally introduced him to motorsports and who shared the same passion for racing as he did, was gone too soon. As one can imagine, this made starting college very tough for McCarthy, adding to the fact that he did not know a single face on campus. To get through this difficult time, he turned to the motivation and words of wisdom conducted by his mother. “She helped me get through that first year, she pushed me to finish,” McCarthy said. There is no doubt that McCarthy is one dedicated individual.
Now sharing his love for motorsports with his friends, McCarthy continues to study the ins and outs of the industry while spectating races. He is also a diehard Chicago sports fan, as he roots on his beloved Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Cubs.
ASHLEY DOYLE | JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY
If you are looking for a motivated, determined, strong-willed individual, look no further. Ashley Doyle, a current graduate assistant at James Madison University, admits that it has not been the smoothest of paths to get her to where she is today, but says that she was able to find herself and her true aspirations in the process. As an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland, Doyle set out to become a dietician, a plan she had, dating back to when she was just thirteen years old. After getting her feet wet in the program, she realized that career was not for her, and decided to make a switch and study family sciences.
An avid Washington D.C. sports fan, Doyle broke into the sports industry as a member of the D.C. United event operations staff. She described her first day on the job as being a long and fast-paced fourteen-hour day consisting of steady rain. Yet this did not bother her. Rather, when questioned by many if this was in fact what she wanted to do, she expressed her love and passion for the job. This experience has motivated Doyle to want to become more involved in the sports industry on the event operations side. Her dream job is to one day be able to run her own stadium, including the ability to host large sporting events such as the Super Bowl and March Madness. With her tremendous focus and joyful spirit, she continues to work hard to reach her goals.
JORDAN JOHNSON | YORK COLLEGE OF PA
Jordan is from Ebensburg, Pennsylvania and recently attended York College of Pennsylvania, majoring in Sport Management with minors in Business Administration and Marketing. She currently works at Saint Francis University as a Multimedia Communications Coordinator. Jordan is also pursuing an MBA with a concentration in Marketing.
Although she grew up around sports, they were never her passion. She did not really know what she wanted to do going into college, so she looked into event planning. She was very hesitant about it but looked into majors and programs that had to do with events, which is how she found herself involved in Sport Management. She also visited different schools that had similar programs and saw that the classes she’d be taking fit her interests. Jordan started working all the sporting events at her college and this allowed her to see which aspects of the sports industry she was truly passionate about working in.
Jordan’s dream job in the sports industry is working for the NHL because it is her favorite sport and constant competition surrounding it creates long-lasting rivalries. She also feels like she would enjoy the NHL schedule that has multiple teams playing multiple times per week as opposed to that of another league like the NFL where every team usually plays one game a week. When Jordan came into college, she did not really like to talk to other people. As she began doing presentations, she gained more confidence in what she knew about the sports industry. Finding that confidence was a huge game-changer for her since networking is a big part of working in sports. Jordan’s favorite sport to play is soccer but her favorite sport to watch is hockey. Her favorite sports teams are the Pittsburgh teams: Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins. Recently, she has become a fan of the Nashville Predators after interning with them before COVID-19.
RYAN JENSEN | SETON HALL
Ryan is from Scotch Plains, New Jersey, and just graduated from Seton Hall with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Sport Management. He is currently an Inside Sales Consultant at HomeAdvisor. Before Seton Hall, Ryan played football at Wagner and Cortland. Ryan attributes his love of football for getting him involved in the sport industry. He played through high school and college until he tore his ACL. Sports have been his whole life, as he was a three-sport athlete in high school and when he was younger he played up to 7-8 sports. His dad has been a basketball coach for over 20 years and everyone in his family plays sports. He knew that although he was done playing football, he still wanted to be involved in sports and a degree in Sport Management was the best route to go. His dream job in sports is to become a general manager for an NFL team. He has a lot of experience with recruitment, networking, and transition for athletes from the high school to the collegiate level, and then to the professional leagues. He has also been involved with the Canadian and Arena Football Leagues.
Ryan’s biggest obstacle was hopping around from school to school trying to find what the right thing was for him. After his sophomore year at Cortland and being done with football due to injuries, Ryan came home and went to a county college for three semesters and changed his major. He pretty much had to start over after two years of college and got his Associate’s Degree in those first three semesters and then his Bachelor’s Degree the following three semesters. These obstacles motivated Ryan to pursue a career in sports because even though he could not play football anymore, it will always be a part of him. Ryan’s favorite sport is football and is a huge fan of the Las Vegas Raiders. He is also a Yankees, Knicks, and Devils fan. He has also worked for the New York Red Bulls as an operations intern.
AVA ZIZZA | UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
Ava is from Boston, Massachusetts and just graduated in December from the University of Alabama with a degree in Marketing and will begin his Master’s in Sports Administration in the fall. In the meantime, she will be a social media intern for Tide 100.9 FM, the Alabama sport radio station in Tuscaloosa and will continue cheerleading for the Crimson Tide.
Ava was inspired to get involved in the sport industry through her experiences on the cheer team. The cheer team works a lot with the marketing department for game day and being behind-the-scenes made her want to get involved more. Her dream job in sports is working on corporate sponsorships or working in fan engagement because she enjoys talking to people. Gameday operations is also a path she could choose to follow as well.
Ava’s biggest obstacle was being a student-athlete and managing her time. She had to manage schoolwork, cheerleading, and internships. It was hard at first, but she was eventually able to find a balance and her internship with Red Bull was very convenient as they let her work around her schedule to complete it. Her favorite sport is football and she is a big fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide and the New England Patriots. She also is a fan of the Boston Red Sox.
TYLER BRITTON | MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH UNIVERSITY
Tyler “Tom Brady” Britton hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from Mount Saint Joseph University in 2019.
Like most people, Britton’s interest in sports began when he was a young age. Growing up watching football with his dad, he found a love for the sport and knew he wanted to get involved.He began playing at a young age with the dream of playing professionally. He even got as far as playing collegiate football before he decided to take a different path.
When asked about his journey through sports and whether he had to face any adversity, Britton told a story about what it was like growing up in a military family. He talked about the difficulty in creating relationships with others due to moving so much. “You meet a lot of people, but you never build lifelong relationships with people.” said Britton. “I’ve always felt I was behind the eight ball with connections.” Although he felt the lack of relationships made things more difficult, he has not let that stop him. Britton has worked to create strong relationships and connections allowing him to gain experience within the industry. However, it wasn’t easy for Britton to get his first position.
Like many others, Britton was faced with the hardships of the Covid-19 pandemic shortly after his graduation. At the same time, the BLM riots were in full force across the country and Britton was considering entering the police force. He said it was something he always considered and was even told by a recruiter, they didn’t offer him the position because they thought he would be better as a security officer based upon his resume. Ultimately, Britton pushed through these hard moments and continued pursuing his dream.
Currently, Britton works part-time at Best Buy as a Loss Prevention Manager. However, he has built a strong resume of experience from working for the Cincinnati Reds, Florence Yall’s, and now the Super Bowl. Britton has a position lined up to work the Western and Southern Open later this year as an Event Operations Intern. Britton has dreams of becoming a GM or team owner for an NFL team, but describes his interest in starting at the bottom of a football organization and working his way to the top.
If you hadn’t guessed it by now, Britton’s favorite sport is football and he loves Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. He is also a big fan of the Los Angeles Angels, Phoenix Suns, and Boston Bruins. Be on the lookout for Britton to own a team of his own in the future!
EDDIE McQUADE | LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY
Eddie “Madison Square Garden” McQuade isn’t your stereotypical New Yorker. Hailing from Long Island, New York, McQuade’s enthusiasm and friendly personality brings energy to the group whenever he enters the building.
McQuade is attending his last semester at Long Island University and will be graduating in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. Growing up, Eddie was a major sports fan. All he wanted to do was talk about the players, stats, and highlights with anyone he met. “When I was younger, I’d be watching SportsCenter all day, telling everyone about the batting average and stats,” said McQuade. “I was just telling everyone about my passion.”
Growing up, McQuade talked about his own career in sports having played baseball, basketball, and swam the 200 free in high school. He highlighted baseball as his favorite sport due to the relationship he had with his teammates. McQuade told stories about the interactions all the team members had and you could feel the family atmosphere his team had created.
After high school, things weren’t always easy for McQuade. He has been to four different universities due to various reasons such as not having his major. However, McQuade never gave up; he continued to work hard and just has one internship to complete before finishing his degree.
Currently, McQuade works as a security guard at Madison Square Garden and City Field. When asked if he could have any job in the industry, he said he wanted to be a sports agent but his current goals are to become a high school or college athletic director.
McQuade is an all-around sports fan but when asked to pick what his favorite sports were, he named football, basketball, baseball, and hockey at the top of his list. Being from New York, it’s no surprise his favorite teams are the Giants, Knicks, Mets, and the Rangers. However, don’t let this fool you, McQuade has a big jersey and hat collection and isn’t afraid to support any team across the country.
HEATHER FORTUNE | UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD
Heather “The Longhorn” Fortune graduated from University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Sport Management in just 5 years.
Currently, Fortune works for a nonprofit organization called San Antonio Sports. The organization hosts after school youth programs providing five different sports, equipment, and nutrition classes throughout the year. Fortune told the story of how she got started in this position highlighting her involvement with the Men's Final Four tournament. She designed the material for the Read to the Final Four program which is currently used for all reading programs. “It’s like a little legacy,” said Fortune. “I got to start that program and it’s probably the biggest highlight of my career.”
When asked about her dream job, Fortune said she wanted to work for the Warrior Games for the military. She talked about her father being in the military and her respect for all military personnel. “After talking with vets and hearing their stories, it got me excited,” said Fortune. She is very excited for the development of the Warrior Games and hopes she will be able to create her own legacy there like she did with the NCAA.
Like most people in sports, Fortune’s inspiration can be attributed to her involvement at a young age. She truly is the jack of all trades as her parents signed her up for every sport she could play. As Fortune got older, she became more serious and played four competitive sports in high school while also assisting the men's sports teams on the weekends. This ultimately led to her first position in the sport industry as an umpire for high school baseball. However, this is also when she encountered some adversity.
Being a woman in sports has not always been easy for Fortune. She talked about the misogynistic views of some men in the sport industry. In her first role as an umpire, she said she wasn’t taken seriously by the other officials or players. She was seen as someone who knew nothing about the sport and the officials treated her as such. Fortune had to overcome these viewpoints and prove that she had the knowledge to be an umpire. However, she had a great attitude about the situation and never let their views get in the way of proving them wrong.
Growing up in Texas, Fortune is a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Astros, and Las Vegas Golden Knights. She is also a big Texas Longhorn fan and will be more than happy to show her team spirit around any Aggie fans. If she is ever in your fantasy league for any sport, be aware because she is very good at managing her teams.
NICK LISI | CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
If you’re ever looking for Nick Lisi in a crowd, just look for the guy rocking Clemson apparel. Lisi is a freshman at Clemson University majoring in Economics.
When asked about why he chose Clemson, Lisi said, “I wanted a university that would make me feel like a little fish in a big pond so I could make myself a big fish in a little pond.” It shows the drive Lisi has to work hard and make a name for himself within the sport industry.
Lisi is currently unsure what he would like to do when he graduates. All he knows is his love for sport, stats, and the players. One day he hopes to be able to have a job encompassing his favorite aspects of the sport whether it’s helping on the business side or the player side.
Although Lisi is in his first year, he is already taking the initiative to make a name for himself in the sport industry. Last fall he worked for the University inside the football stadium. From there he found the Living Sport program taking him on the next step of his journey. His drive and dedication earned him the title of being one of, if not the youngest participant in program history.
Lisi’s inspiration for the sport industry was different from many of the other participants. It began when he was a Junior in high school attending a two-week program in Syracuse, New York studying analytics. While he was there he said he realized it was possible and there was a path to work with analytics in the sport industry. He even highlighted some members from the program who went on to work for his favorite team, the Brooklyn Nets.
While Lisi has already had many great achievements in the sport industry, it wasn’t always easy for him. His top university was the University of North Carolina. However, after struggling with a chemistry class in high school, he realized he might not be able to make it to the university. Instead, he went to Clemson and has embraced the culture. He never let it get in the way of working towards his goals.
It’s very clear Lisi is a huge Clemson fan. Rarely is he seen without sporting some kind of Clemson apparel and says he loves all Clemson athletics. Beyond his university, Lisi is a big fan of the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Browns. He said he isn’t a big hockey fan, even though he’s currently in a fantasy hockey league. When asked about his success in a sport he isn’t familiar with, Lisi said “I just tried to pick the players with the best beard!” His response captures the energy he brings to the team and his openness to get involved any way he can.
MATTHEW HAMMAD | OHIO MEDIA SCHOOL
Matthew “The Drone Guy” Hammad, attended Ohio Media School where he received a degree in TV and Radio Broadcasting in late 2019. During his Living Sport interview, Living Sport founder, Alicia Marinelli, heard of his drone and media skills and instantly became intrigued by how he could contribute to the team. It’s no surprise he was selected to become a participant of this program.
Hammad has had a slow start in the sport industry. Recently, he started a position working at a Sports Cards Shop stating it’s his first job within the sport industry. Before this position, Hammad wasn’t afraid of working anywhere. He did it all, from working at a grocery store to a haunted house. He’s not afraid to look for opportunities and try new things.
One skill Hammad excels at is going out of his way to build strong relationships with people. When applying for his job at the card shop, Hammad decided to hand deliver his resume to the card shop. When asked why he wanted to hand deliver his resume, Hammad said, “I really just think going to the store shows initiative. I think it shows a little bit more effort.” His response truly captures his character and shows he’s not afraid to put in the extra effort on the job.
Hammad’s inspiration in sports began when he was a toddler. He grew up watching sports with his dad and grew to love the players. As he got older, he found his passion for photography and realized he could combine the two and make a career within the industry. One day Hammad would like to have his own freelance production company. He wants to be out on the field at the event and make a story or highlight reel of the game.
When asked about adversity, Hammad talked about his struggle in highschool and what he wanted to do afterwards. He believed college wasn’t an option which is how he found the Ohio Media Trade School. “I was trying to find a way to make something out of nothing,” said Hammad. “A lot of people told me not to go to college for this.” Eventually he found the trade school and a month later he was enrolled in the program.
Being in Ohio, it’s no surprise he’s a big fan of all Ohio professional sports. However, he’s also a big Boston sports fan because of his father. If you ever get the chance to talk to Hammad, be sure to ask him about Kareem Hunt and the signed replica helmet he just got, and certainly stay on the lookout for Hammad working the sidelines at your future sporting events.