Making Connections on the Court and in the Classroom
As a freshman, Donya Moore rubbed shoulders with sport and event venue professionals, leading to her first internship at Hershey Entertainment and Resorts.
- School of Business
Widener University offered Donya Moore the perfect combination: a sport and event management major that would combine her two passions and connect her with industry professionals in her future field.
It was a no-brainer for Donya to choose Widener, and already that decision is paying off.
In her first year, she rubbed shoulders with nearly a dozen leaders in the sport and event management industries in the Philadelphia region, and a Widener alumnus helped her secure her first internship at Hershey Entertainment and Resorts. She also landed a second-year job as the suite supervisor at the Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles.
These early experiences at Widener are setting a foundation for Donya to enter a highly-competitive industry and launch a career as an event manager at a sports arena.
I knew that coming to Widener would mean opportunities to meet speakers working in the industry. And, I know that when the time comes, I will be able to turn to them to help find a job. — Donya Moore
Widener’s program offers two tracks: sport management or event management. Donya loves sports and played on the university’s basketball team freshman year, but ultimately chose the event management track in order to learn how to plan high-profile events and connect with directors of event venues and sports teams.
Donya knew that Widener’s campus is ideally located for her program. The campus is just 12 miles from the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, home to the Phillies, Flyers, and Eagles, and three miles from the Philadelphia Union's stadium.
Donya is eager to get a head start on her career through internships. During freshman year, Professor Jeff Lolli introduced her to Widener alumnus Emmanuel Rupert, who works at Hershey. That’s how she learned about and secured a spot in Hershey’s Leadership Development Internship Program, and then shadowed staff working on the concert series.
That isn’t the only connection she’s made at Widener. She has participated in numerous networking opportunities, including one in which Tyler Virgilio, manager of the Premium Suites for Aramark Services at Lincoln Financial Field, spoke to her introductory event management class. “Those opportunities are why I came to Widener,” she said.
With three more years at Widener, she is looking forward to even more introductions and mentorship opportunities with industry leaders on Widener’s Sport and Event Management Advisory Board and through the Executives in Residence program.
Donya Moore
