After a fast paced work week with MSBA programing following our nine-to-five schedules each day, the weekend was long awaited. Waking up Saturday morning with a full New York day ahead of me, it began to set in that this would be my home for the next seven weeks. Being the youngest in the program this summer, I coined the nickname “Rookie,” and looking back at the beginning of this week I may have lived up to that reputation. My first day on the job, I took the wrong route and ended up lost in Time Square, frantically calling Bailey, our Dean of Students, for help navigating the crowded city. However, I woke up today feeling different.

“I confidently look back on these past several days and see growth in myself that I never believed could have happened in one short week. The Manhattan Sports Business Academy has an incredible way of accelerating self-improvement and professional development.”

I confidently look back on these past several days and see growth in myself that I never believed could have happened in one short week. The Manhattan Sports Business Academy has an incredible way of accelerating self-improvement and professional development. Monday and Tuesday, our class sat across from incredible career-driven mentors in David Oestreicher and Alex Rosen, who spoke candidly about stepping up to the plate and building our web of connections. Wednesday became a hub for practicing conversations in real life; we cultivated the traits we were taught earlier in the week by talking face-to-face with industry leaders at the Kickoff Celebration. We saw the facilities that house our dream jobs on Thursday and Friday with visits to Taylor – inside the Empire State Building – and Madison Square Garden. To say that MSBA is a catalyst for growth is an understatement.

Stepping into Saturday, I feel excited for the coming weeks and experiences that lie ahead. With this new confidence, my roommate Kiley and I headed out for our first day off in the city. We started our morning with crazy downpour, which drenched us head to toe as we made our way to brunch. Taking cover at a small cafe named Blake Lane, we decided to sightsee indoors at the American Museum of Natural History and ended the day in Central Park after the rain finally ceased. In the park we discussed career goals and plans for this summer and beyond. Knowing that we are only a week in, I cannot fathom the girl I will be at the end, but I promise she will be far more than a rookie.