Grace Andros, 2025
My Capstone Experience - Business Project partner Gessica Oliveri and I had the pleasure of working with Paula Williams and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund to organize a Play4Kay game with the Bryan High School girls basketball team. We were the first students to work on this project so we experienced a lot of trial and error. Paula was wonderful in leading and encouraging us in our weekly Zoom meetings with her. We worked on event planning, organizing, marketing, and execution. We had to contact local schools in our area, coordinate with them to pick a date, make social media posts advertising the game, create raffle baskets to sell, and find local cancer survivors and thrivers in our area. Not only did we have to communicate effectively with each other, Paula and Coach Geyer, but we also had to use these skills to talk to the coaches at Bryan to make sure they were involved every step of the way. This business project truly was such a valuable experience for me as it gave me a chance to learn more about multiple different areas like marketing and event planning. I also want to see what it is like to work in fundraising, as it is a completely different world than for-profit organizations. We were given the goal of raising $1,000 and were honored to have just hit that goal! This goal was achieved by raising money at the game and before via social media. Overall, this was a wonderful experience that taught me about working in sports and helped us give back to our community!
Words of Wisdom
- Persevere
- Communicate
- Drive
Jack Williford, 2025
During my Culminating Experience - Business Project, I worked with Jimmy Kibble, CEO and founder of the National Scouting Combine. The National Scouting Combine is a football combine for draft-eligible athletes. Even though they prioritize football testing, they’re looking to expand into other sports, with one being baseball. I came up with a plan to potentially host a baseball combine. I researched and evaluated the essential elements pivotal to executing an innovative baseball combine. These components include the ideal venue, modern technology, price, evaluation tools, and more. Overall, I enjoyed this experience and learned how to plan a successful and appealing baseball scouting event methodically.
Words of Wisdom
- Pursue a project that you’re passionate about but also gives you unique opportunities to learn and grow.
Jared Kessler, 2025
My Capstone Experience - Business Project was with Victory Sports, a youth sports league in Bryan-College Station for grades 1st through 6th. My role in this business project was to help plan and run the Championship Weekend event. I worked with one other student; my focus was flag football, and she was in charge of volleyball. I learned how to use Canva for social media posts, order trophies, prepare test questions for potential referees, and make other plans necessary for a successful event. I attended a game day event before the Championship Weekend to better prepare myself. I am very excited to take away all the things I learned and use them for my future.
Words of Wisdom
- Do not be scared to get out of your comfort zone, and do not give up.
Erin Ducharme, 2025
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For my Culminating Experience - Business Project, I had the opportunity to help plan the certificate ceremony for the December graduates of the Thornton McFerrin Coaching Academy. This project involved many tasks, including securing a speaker for the event, designing and sending out Save the Dates and invitations, organizing catering, and managing event logistics. I worked closely with academy staff to ensure every detail was in place, from venue setup to coordinating with vendors. It was a hands-on experience that allowed me to apply my business skills and passion for coaching.This project really helped me grow my organizational and project management skills while giving me a deeper understanding of how impactful well-planned events can be. Being part of something so meaningful gave me a firsthand look at what goes into organizing an event, everything from booking a speaker to managing invitations. It was a rewarding experience that allowed me to put what I've learned into action and gave me a better appreciation for the behind-the-scenes work that makes professional events successful.
Words of Wisdom
- My words of wisdom are to find a project you're truly passionate about, having a genuine interest makes all the hard work feel more rewarding. When you care about what you're doing, the challenges become opportunities for growth and learning.
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Blake Thedford, 2024
Throughout my Culminating Experience—Business Project, I was tasked with creating a PowerPoint that San Antonio Sports could use to advertise its athletes and their success after their participation in the San Antonio Sports All-Star Game. After completing those slides, I created a stat book for the organization that deeply investigated player and team performance.
Words of Wisdom
- Put in the extra work. It will never hurt you.
Leah Fogle, 2026
For my Capstone Experience - Business Project, I have been matched to work with Victory Sports. Victory Sports is a Catholic youth organization with youth leagues for soccer, basketball, volleyball, and flag football. The company aims to teach the Catholic youth everything faith-based through sport. Each week, they highlight and use a new term of virtue in their teachings. The coaches of teams will host lessons before and prayers after practices to educate the young on their assigned teachings. The goal of this organization outside of sports is to address a need that has become more prevalent in youth sports. After many discussions about the why of this organization, I have concluded that this league exists to teach a faith component through sport and give children the opportunity to grow and excel in a sport in ways they haven’t been able to before. The basis of giving growth opportunities for youth in sports is that the field of play is shortened with age, and the number of players on the field or court is also lessened. Thus, this gives each player more chances to make contact with the ball and get more touches. It is also better because it gives the coaches more time to reach the players and teach them the sport since fewer players exist. Victory Sports has done extensive research on this view and has concluded that this method of youth sports truly positively impacts the skills of their players. They host flag football and volleyball in the fall season, and in the spring season, they host soccer and basketball. There are three divisions for each sport based on age; there is the peewee level (1st and 2nd grade), minor level (3rd and 4th grade), and significant level (5th-6th grade). After regular play, a championship day is held at the end of each season, and a winner is chosen from each division and sport.
Words of Wisdom
- Always ask questions and keep a smile on your face.
Logan Nance, 2025
My Culminating Experience - Business Project was with the Texas A&M baseball team. My primary responsibilities were to operate the various technologies we use daily, as well as train employees on our video operating system. Analytics and video have become an integral part of player development at Texas A&M, and to utilize the video and data, we had to make sure that the collection of these things was accurate. My responsibility was to ensure that our technologies were always working and ready to be used. These technologies included things like Trackman, BATS, and iPitch. I also trained new employees on BATS, our video collection system. These systems are used for games, practices, and scrimmages and allow the coaches to review videos of the players. I am so thankful for my opportunity to work with Texas A&M baseball.
Words of Wisdom
- Work hard
- Be reliable
- Learn from failure
Bryson Slaughter, 2025
San Antonio Sports was a fantastic organization to work alongside with. Working with David Castro on their All-Star High School Football Game was very exciting as I saw the talent they bring in year in and year out. Through this experience, I was able to research the talents of past alums and where they are now. Additionally, I researched high school graduates in their 2024 class and where they are going to college. Through this experience, I learned a lot about SA Sports and myself. The growth I saw in navigating software like Excel, PowerPoint, and others will benefit me far past graduation. Thank you, Coach Geyer, David Castro, and San Antonio Sports, for this great opportunity.
Words of Wisdom
There are four things you can always control, no matter your circumstances. Control what you can control, that is:
- Your attitude
- Your effort you give in what you do
- Your self discipline
- Your capacity to care and love the things you do
Jake Wigginton, 2025
I partnered with Athletes in Action for my Culminating Experience - Business Project. I was tasked with creating a business plan for their sports complex and how to best utilize the space. I created a yearly calendar, marketing strategies, budgets, and event write-ups. I learned a lot about time management and how to conduct proper research. I enjoyed working on this project because I am fascinated by my sports facilities, and this facility was one of the best I have ever seen.
Words of Wisdom
- Manage your time wisely and get ahead when you can. You will get out of this project what you put into it.
Jessi Morrison, 2025
My Culminating Experience - Business Project allowed me to grow in the sports world. I was able to make a lasting connection in the industry. Being able to do the work I did through this experience gives me a look into my future.
Words of Wisdom