Gabrielle Gervais, ‘23, a Merrimack College junior majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Sports Management and a minor in Health Science has been loving her time as a Marketing and Ticketing Intern with Merrimack College Athletics.
Other internship positions she’s held in the past have been as a Game Day intern with the Brewster Whitecaps (CCBL) and as the head football manager, ice hockey student manager, fitness center front desk staff, and admissions ambassador at Merrimack. She is involved on campus as the Secretary of the Sports Management Club, Women in Business Club, MCTV, and is on the “Managing the Mack” Radio Show.
Congratulations on your new position. Thank you for meeting with me. Can you tell us a little bit about why you chose to work as a marketing and ticketing intern?
I thought it would be a good experience for me. It’s time consuming but keeps me on a solid schedule. I get to see the inner workings of games, and I already have experience working with sports teams since I worked with the football and hockey teams in previous years. But I really wanted to see what went on behind the scenes, and since this may possibly be my career, it’s great to get my foot in the door working at a D1 school.
How did you find this position, and can you tell us a little bit about what you do?
I reached out to Jeremy through the Fitness Center. He was also my boss in a previous position. I asked if it would be a good fit for me. I dove deeper into asking how time consuming it was and what it actually entails. You don’t know what you’re getting into until you are in it, and Jeremy was great with changing the work around to make it achievable for me.
Can you talk us through the process of finding and applying for your internship?
I found the application through Handshake. I applied and attached my resume and cover letter. I then followed up with Jeremy to express my interest.
I was interviewed by Jeremy about joining the team of four interns for the fall. We had a few brief meetings over the summer. There’s a lot that goes on before the fall, and it’s nice to have a team who has prior experience with this sort of stuff.
How did you prepare for the interview? What was it like, and do you have any tips on interview techniques or questions?
The interview was on zoom due to COVID-19. I’ve known Jeremy for a long time, so it was more casual. Beforehand, I sat down and wrote down what I wanted from the internship, and I said “If this is what you can offer me, then I’d love to work with you.” I was debating between this and the operations internship, so I was making pros and cons and ultimately ended up at this internship. .
In general, how did Merrimack contribute to your career development? What resources did you use?
I have to thank Merrimack for getting me to where I am today. I worked with our D1 hockey team freshman year and that experience opened my eyes. I originally majored in Athletic Training, but I shifted to Business Administration. Merrimack opened my eyes to the wonderful opportunities that students don’t realize we have as a D1 school and being able to work with athletics.
What surprised you about your internship experience? Were there any situations that came up that you were unprepared for?
When you go in, you think you are selling tickets, brainstorming, and making advertisements. But Jeremy listens to us as interns and asks us what we are interested in. I got to experience game day operations, like signaling when the dance team goes, and it’s been eye opening seeing what goes into just one game, let alone three or more in a weekend.
What skills have you developed and what do you wish you had known prior to starting the internship there?
My interpersonal and communication skills have grown the most, along with networking. I have talked to powerful people without realizing it, such as guests of presidents, those with luxury hockey seats, and it’s cool to have those people recognize you.
Any campus shout-outs to folks who have helped you along the way in getting you to this point?
Thank you to Jeremy Johnson and Jeremy Gibson for taking me under their wing, trusting me, and boosting my skills and confidence in skills I have developed.
Speaking of your time at Merrimack, how did you grow in your time here? Were there any influential clubs, jobs, professors, or moments for you?
Aaron Mansfield, my advisor. It’s been a year since I switched my major, and he kept reassuring me that I was on the right track and pushed me to get out of my comfort zone. He told me to do what I love and I will find success.
