Anna Kalkowski, sophomore, and Colton Cramer, junior, both participated in internships with the Pittsburgh Steelers marketing department this summer. Both Seton Hill students served as Brand Ambassadors for the team. They attended the team’s training camp, interacted with the public, and helped with player relations. Their professor, Dr. Kaplan connected them with this opportunity through her class in the School of Business and Technology.

Cramer describes their role as “the front line of fan engagement.” Brand ambassadors would arrive to practice many hours in advance and work with the marketing department to prepare the venue for the public. This included setting up a number of football-themed games for fans to play, facilitating the 40-yard-dash contest, tending the beer garden, and overseeing the kids' activities.

Brand Ambassadors not only attended training camp, but a variety of events throughout the summer and football season. The events included Steelers Youth Flag Football Camps, the NFL Draft Party at Stage AE, coaches conferences, and home games.

Both Kalkowski and Cramer are lifelong Steelers fans and were thrilled to get this internship opportunity. This experience gave them meaningful exposure to the world of sports marketing and the opportunity to excersise their professionalism. Not only did this result in a positive internship experience, but it resulted in some extra consideration from professional staff. “I now get a sideline pass for all the home games in order to do one of those jobs, and it was 100% worth the extra work,” Cramer said.

Their internship also taught Kalkowski and Cramer about resilience. Kalkowski said that standing out in the group of interns is something she found challenging. Due to the number of interns, she wanted to make sure that she went above and beyond the requirements of the position. After three weeks straight of standing in the sun, Cramer noted that Training Camp was the most difficult for him. “... I just tried to keep a positive mindset, make new friends, and have as much fun as I could. I thought about all the boring jobs I've had in my life, and it made the days at camp seem much better,” he said.

Both Setonians feel that this internship helped them feel certain about their plans for the future. While they were already interested in sports marketing, they can now really see themselves in the career. After getting experience in the field they want to pursue, they better understand the operation of a promotional team, the expansive team it takes to be successful, and the impactful reach of community-focused marketing. By utilizing the connections that their professor provided them, they’re better prepared to move forward in their professions.