Madeline Crocenzi, Editor-in-Chief
Alyssa Burd, Online Editor
At the beginning of December, three students traveled to Nashville for the 2015 baseball winter meetings.
Seniors Tyler Moody and Julia Fitting, and sophomore Alycia Park-Ferretti attended the conference through the Student Government Association’s (SGA) Professional Development Grant along with help from the Career and Professional Development Center.
“We actually met with Joy Fea. She taught us how to write our resume, how to make ourselves more appealing, how to network, and how to put ourselves out there for employment opportunities,” says Park-Ferretti.
Moody, Park-Ferretti, and Fitting are all interested in working in some form of athletics in the future. They say the trip was an opportunity to network with employers and baseball organizations across the country.
“It was a great opportunity to go out there and see how competitive the job market is and see what you can offer. It really is, as weird as it sounds, a good time for self-reflection. You step back and think, what can I offer this company?” says Park-Ferretti.
The students attended a conference the first day of the trip where they heard various professionals speak, including women working in professional baseball. They also attended a Major League Baseball Trade Show and the Professional Baseball Employment Opportunities (PBEO) job fair.
“They actually had a section on women in baseball. I used to play softball so I was really interested in that; one of my favorite softball players, Jessica Mendoza, was in it,” says Fitting.
Moody is a sport management major who would like to work in the front office of a professional baseball team. He describes the trip as a “dream come true.”
“The biggest part of my field is networking, so this experience for me was great. I got to set up two internships this summer,” he says.
The trio also saw both famous and familiar faces. They talked with Messiah alumni and Vice President and COO of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, Todd Parnell. They also saw Tony La Russa and Joe Torre, as well as the hosts of Intentional Talk on the MLB Network.
“I was on TV a couple of times. People were sending me messages like, ‘I just saw you on MLB Network in the background there,’” adds Moody.
From left: Park-Ferretti, Fitting, and Moody.
Besides attending the conference, Moody, Park-Ferretti, and Fitting toured downtown Nashville. They visited the Grand Ole Opry, toured Vanderbilt University, and ate a lot of BBQ.
“We went to this little hole in the wall place called Peg Leg Porker. The food was amazing,” says Park-Ferretti.
“It’s a cool culture,” adds Fitting, “it’s not all about country music, it’s about a lot more than that.”
Ultimately all agree that networking and forming connections were the most beneficial part of the trip.
“I need to be proactive with meeting people and getting my resume in people’s hands. Not so much just applying for a job. That’s very rare that that’s going to get you hired. Making network connections with people was huge,” says Moody.
“I would definitely recommend for other people to take this opportunity,” adds Fitting.
If you or a student you know of is interested in receiving a Professional Development Grant through SGA, contact the Career and Professional Development Center for more information.