A new city holds new adventures, which may be intimidating to most people but for West Virginia native Alyssa Johnston, it represented her career vision.
Johnston (SM 2018) took a chance and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina where she landed a job with NBA Charlotte Hornets.
As an inside sales consultant, Johnston works with season tickets, luxury seating and client relationship management. Her favorite part of her work is working with luxury sales.
Johnston credits her WVU extracurricular activities and time with the Sport Management club as part of the reason why she was chosen for the job with the Hornets.
“It was my internship experiences and involvement in sport management extracurricular activities that helped me get my position. There were more than 500 applicants for the job I applied to. The Hornets hired me and two other recent college graduates which made me realize that it is important to stand out in any positive way that you can when applying for jobs,” said Johnston.
As a Sport Management club member, Johnston recalls some of her favorite memories and opportunities she experienced.
“From Pirates games to our Indianapolis trip for the NFL Combine, we always had a great time together while making lifelong memories and connections,” Johnston added.
Johnston credited the connections and mentors who helped her throughout her education.
“During my time at CPASS I had several mentors and influential people who were extremely important to my success before and after graduation. I always looked to Drs. Floyd Jones, Gary Lhotsky, Gonzalo Bravo and Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator Terri Howes for assistance. Each contributed to my professional development in meaningful ways. I truly feel I wouldn’t be where I am today without them,” she said.
Johnston encourages students to ask their professors questions, make connections and get out into the world to discover other opportunities.