Connect with Jessie on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Coming from Culpeper, VA, the transition to the Big Apple is an adventure outside of my comfort zone. Little did I know that Day 2 was truly my day of firsts – first solo subway ride, first run in Central Park, first Yankees game, and first full day living and working in the city. Surrounded by skyscrapers, people, and noise I was definitely nervous for Monday morning; but eager to begin this journey.
I don’t want to bring you through my entire day, but my day of firsts began with a 6:30AM workout in Central Park with my fellow MSBAers. Who knew such a beautiful grassy area with the best view of Manhattan was only a few blocks from my dorm. Not only did I get to wake up to enjoy its refreshing scenery, I continued to build relationships with my classmates whom I had only met a little over 12 hours before. This early morning jumpstarted my day before my first solo subway commute.
Boy did I learn the subway system fast! The experience that worried me the most became a simple ride on the 6 train downtown, and within 20 minutes, I walked up the front steps of my eight-story office building. At the end of the day, I really tested my skills by making my first trip to Yankees Stadium. Who knew the subway was so easy to navigate?
After a full day, the Yankees game was both refreshing and rewarding. Admittedly, I’m not a Yankees fan, but I soaked in every moment I could, partially because my brother loves the Yankees and I wanted to rub it in, but also because it’s the Yankees! I did show my rookie status by attempting to bring my laptop into the stadium, but from then on I got to enjoy some baseball in left field with fun fans and people. What really set this baseball experience apart from all others was the opportunity to absorb the atmosphere with all 25+ MSBAers and our mentors. Not only could we enjoy the event, but also, we could easily connect and build our relationships.
Given that, my mentor is awesome! She is young, smart, and extremely eager to help me learn and explore the sports industry. During dinner and the game, we clicked and learned quite a bit about each other. I am eager to pick her brain and really go to her for guidance, but I am most excited to develop our relationship and trust. We even planned our first outing together called Manicures and Martinis!
My first full day of MSBA was a full immersion into the New York life, which was rewarding, somewhat challenging, but very exciting. I made some rookie mistakes, but I powered through and managed not to get lost both physically and mentally in this busy city. Now, I’m looking to forward to seeing how much all of us grow and learn in these short two months. I’m just over 36 hours into the program and I’ve already been exposed to so many new people and activities. This summer is going to be a great adventure!