Sarah Boriskie, 2025
Working for Jon Heditke on his podcast, College Sports: Follow the Money, was an incredible opportunity. Within my group, my peers and I learned about a few different sides of what went into this podcast: production, sales, and marketing. We each had the opportunity to sit in on the recording of a few podcasts and watch and learn how to produce each incredible episode. We also learned how to create sales decks and how to effectively pitch to different companies around town about potentially sponsoring the podcast. My main focus over the year was social media. I did a lot of research on how to utilize social media marketing to expand our target audience. Throughout the year, I worked on creating graphics, short video clips, and posts that we soon uploaded and saw outstanding analytics. This experience was a big confidence boost and inspired our team to keep working hard and learning as we went on. This project was one that I will never forget; each aspect and turn brought us something new to learn, and I am very grateful for that. The things I learned from this project are things I would have never learned if it weren’t for this opportunity. Taking a leap and jumping right into a project I was nervous about really paid off in the end. I had never worked on a podcast before and was not sure if I would excel at it, but with the help of my team and our mentors, it opened a door and showed me something that I ended up loving and would have never known if it weren’t for this experience!
Words of Wisdom
- Take a leap and try something new!
- There is always something to learn, so be open-minded!
Ollie Sims, 2026
In our Capstone Experience—Business Project, we were tasked with helping grow the College Sports: Follow the Money podcast, presented by TexAgs, and gain sponsorships. My specific goal in the group was to lead the sponsorship search. We struck up one deal during our culminating experience, with one other company potentially agreeing soon. Throughout this Capstone Experience, I learned a lot about sales, people skills, and red tape. I am very fortunate for the skills I learned and the people I met during this time.
Words of Wisdom
- Persistence
- Charismatic
- Team Chemistry
Sebastian Osteguin, 2025
I was very fortunate to partner with Legends of the Ball Inc. to gain experience in event organizing. Together, we successfully hosted a golf event to raise awareness for women’s basketball and funding scholarships for high school girls who played basketball. This initiative supports those graduating from high school, whether or not they choose to continue their athletic careers.
Words of Wisdom
- Be open to immersing yourself in your projects and demonstrate your commitment to your work and learning.
Jaci Weston, 2025
We have been tasked with working alongside the Director of Operations for the Texas A&M Women’s Basketball Team for our Capstone Experience-Business Project. The Texas A&M Women’s Basketball Team’s mission is to develop leaders of character dedicated to serving the greater good. Our role in this business project was assisting Meredith Mitchell in basketball operations. We managed inventory for the players and support staff, managed post-game meals, emailed coaches about shoot-around times, worked the team calendar, made Excel sheets for passports and inventory, and did many other administrative tasks. This Business Project with Texas A&M Women’s Basketball provided valuable insights into the behind-the-scenes operations of collegiate athletics. I developed skills in inventory management, event coordination, and communication while taking on responsibilities such as managing Adidas gear, planning retreats, and coordinating game-day logistics. Challenges like handling incomplete shipments and last-minute schedule changes taught me the importance of adaptability and proactive problem-solving. This experience has not only strengthened my organizational and professional skills. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and the mentorship provided by Meredith, and I look forward to applying these lessons to future roles.
Words of Wisdom
- Take advantage of all the wisdom and time you have with your business partner! It flies by, and you want to soak up everything you can before you enter the real world!
Hayden Heard, 2025
The Dallas Sports Commission (DSC) tasked me with completing a hospitality portal. This Capstone Experience - Business Project consisted of creating quarterly meetings for key partners and a questionnaire for clients after using the DSC’s services. The DSC has given me a great opportunity to use my skills based on prior experience. Being a Dallas native, it provided great insight into the sports business in Dallas.
Words of Wisdom
- Stay organized and trust your skills.
Remi Vanderpool, 2025
The Thornton-McFerrin Coaching Academy's certificate ceremony planning experience is fun and rewarding, combining creativity and logistics. Organizing the ceremony, choosing a venue, and communicating with attendees are all detail-oriented work. Making graduates feel celebrated is rewarding, as you work closely with instructors, staff, and students. Ensuring the ceremony runs smoothly, creating personalized certificates, and arranging speeches contribute to a memorable event. A big challenge is balancing the formality with the personal touch that makes the ceremony special and unique.
Words of Wisdom
- Communicate
- Adapt
- Delegate
Gessica Oliveri, 2025
For my Capstone Experience - Business Project, we organized a Play4Kay event at Bryan High School to support the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, an organization dedicated to funding research and raising awareness for all cancers affecting women. The event featured a girls' basketball game with freshman, JV, and varsity teams. The fundraising activities included a raffle table, I Play For cards, and a bucket donation drive during the quarters in the game. Most importantly, we had the opportunity to recognize local cancer survivors and thrivers for their strength and resilience. The goal was to raise money to create a sense of community and offer support in the fight against cancer. In this project, we collaborated with school officials, local businesses, and volunteers to make the event successful. We helped get donations for the raffle, organized the plans to honor survivors, and made promotional materials to raise awareness. It all needed to be very well-planned with communication and creative thinking. By the end of the night, individuals could see how significant community involvement and kindness really are.
Words of Wisdom
- Make sure to stay organized and be ready to adjust if things don't go as you had planned.
- Bring prepared for anything can make such a huge difference.
Travis Plumer, 2025
My experience was incredibly valuable and allowed me to learn a variety of skills that I can apply in my future career. I gained experience in various areas, from social media management to operations. Much of what I learned came from hands-on work, but I also benefited greatly from research.
Initially, I focused on social media, which involved creating posts and researching what to post and how to engage our audience. This role transitioned into handling sponsorships, where I checked package prices and contacted potential sponsors. After securing a sponsor, I shifted my focus to event operations, ensuring everything was ready for the tournament. I also played a role in running the event to ensure it went smoothly. Ultimately, I concentrated on developing a timeline guide for the organization.
Words of Wisdom
Lawson Moore, 2024
I worked with FieldhouseUSA for my Capstone Experience - Business Project. FieldhouseUSA wants to improve its Corporate Events Program to bring more people into the Frisco, TX location. This project was an amazing opportunity for me as someone who aspires to work in event coordination. After researching FieldhouseUSA, visiting the facility, and researching competitors, I was tasked with creating a Frequently Asked Questions Page and Inquiry Form that could be implemented into their website. The FAQ Page lists any questions a prospective guest may have about Corporate Events at FieldhouseUSA. The Inquiry Form allows them to select a date, time, and any preferences they have for an event. I learned so much throughout this semester about FieldhouseUSA, event coordination, and myself. I was very fortunate to have helpful business partners at FieldhouseUSA and guidance from Dr. Geyer during this project. I had setbacks that I had to overcome, but those setbacks taught me very valuable lessons, and I am grateful for that.
Words of Wisdom
- Please don't dwell on a setback, find a way to learn from it and keep moving forward.
Cameron Patek, 2025
My Capstone Experience- Business Project was working with Athletes in Action, specifically their new 65,000 square ft. facility, the Wooden Family Fieldhouse. I was tasked with developing a program plan, researching competing facilities, reviewing high school, AAU, and club schedules, developing a marketing plan, and creating an event to be run in the Spring of 2025. My supervisor, Mr. Steve Harrell, was invaluable during this project, teaching me many things and giving me quality feedback on my work. Overall, I wouldn't change anything about this experience, and I'm blessed I could be a part of it.
Words of Wisdom
- Always ask questions
- Remember to have fun
- Adapt and overcome when things don't go as planned.