Aggies in Action

Lauren Mariott, 2025

My Culminating Experience was with the Dallas Sports Commission, where I worked alongside the Assistant Director of Marketing, Alex Gilbert. My partner Taylor Foeh and I were tasked with creating a content strategy for the Dallas Sports Commission to launch their TikTok platform this summer. Throughout the semester, we gathered and created content research that would help this organization stay relevant and successful. In addition, we wanted to make sure that each strategy and/or tip that we found would be applicable to any content the Dallas Sports Commission wanted to post.TikTok is a fast-paced and ever-changing platform, so our job was to make sure the Dallas Sports Commission had a strong foundation before launching its profile. In addition to the research we completed with the TikTok platform, we also created a few stagnant graphics and mock videos for practice. Alex Gilbert was very helpful and generous in sharing with Taylor and me some of the behind-the-scenes content that the Dallas Sports Commission used for their social media. For example, she shared b-roll footage and their content posting schedule. We were able to see and learn firsthand what a real sport organization used for their social media side of operations. So, not only did we get to complete the project, but alsolearn more about what goes into posting for an organization on social media.

 

Words of Wisdom

• Be open to trying new things!

Maddie McComb, 2025

This semester, I worked alongside Alex Gilbert, the Director of Marketing at the Dallas Sports Commission (DSC), to further their contacts with non-profit organizations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I extensively researched 27 organizations that the DSC could partner with. I developed a survey to gain more information on the non-profits and their experience (if any) with the DSC. This survey provided the DSC with more knowledge about the non-profit organizations in the area. Over the last few months, I have learned several valuable lessons, including persistence, time management, and patience. My Capstone Experience - Business Project also allowed me to further my professional skills to be successful in the future.

 

Words of Wisdom

To the student about to start their Culminating Experience: This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so do not take it for granted and strive to get the most out of this! You can gain many amazing lessons from this, and it is a huge privilege to participate in something like this. Here are a few words of advice and encouragement: 

• Manage your time wisely: Dedicate time each week to sit down and work solely on your project.
• Maintain constant contact with your business partner: This shows them that you are dedicated and passionate and keeps them in the loop regarding your progress.
• Persevere: Sometimes you may get stuck and need help figuring out where to go with some situations, or in my case, other companies may not answer you as fast as you would like. Do not be afraid to ask your professor or business partner for help, and do not give up on yourself! You are so capable of being successful. You may have to be more consistent in reaching out or working around your speed bumps. Your professor and partner are there to support you, so reach out to them.

Ben Carlson, 2024

I worked with the Dallas Sports Commission (DSC) and the Director of Business Development, Andrew Dockrill, to research and identify an emerging sports market for DSC to pursue in future events. My research involved looking at what other sports commissions in the United States were doing and compiling all my findings onto a detailed spreadsheet. From there, I compared the demographics of Dallas to those of the events being considered, and I saw that the options began to narrow. After analyzing the information and observing industry trends, I proposed to bring an IRONMAN event to Dallas.

 

Words of Wisdom

• This is a great experience; give it your all.

Emiliano Mendoza, 2025

My project involved developing a Latino marketing platform for major events in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I had the opportunity to participate in professional meetings with our business partner, an experience I had never had before. I was grateful for the chance to learn about marketing in the sports world and to present in front of someone in the sports industry. This experience was invaluable to me as I had never worked in a professional setting or in marketing. I learned a lot from this experience and plan to apply it to my future career.

 

Words of Wisdom

• Take advantage of the situation and make the most of your opportunity.