Sport Management major Arielle Friedman landed a real-world opportunity to work at Super Bowl LVI through researching options online. She calls the Super Bowl internship a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
The Cherry Hill, N.J. native was responsible for execution of Super Bowl LVI events and helped with hospitality efforts for Super Bowl LVI high level guests. “I provided game day customer service initiatives for more than 70,000 fans. During my internship I had the opportunity to network with many sport professionals who work for the Lakers, Sparks, Angels, Dodgers, Clippers and more,” Friedman said. “It’s something I never pictured myself doing.”
Friedman says sport management faculty support her career pathway. “The professors have taught me everything I need to know. They’ve acted as a guide for when I needed help. Faculty have shown me how to gain real world experience and use it to the best of my ability. The program offers professors who have actual experience working in the sports industry,” she said.
“Dr. Gary Lhotsky has been by my side since freshman orientation. He has been a huge part of my success,” Friedman said. “He has given me advice, helped me expand my network and is always on the lookout for job openings that may spark my interest. Without him, I’m not sure if I would be where I am today.”
Lhotsky, SM teaching associate professor, says that Friedman stood out from the first at Decide WVU Day in spring 2019. “She told me she wanted to get sport related experience and said she worked wrestling matches in high school. I connected her with the WVU wrestling operations GA, and she immediately started helping once she arrived on campus,” he said. “Since then, she has taken advantage of experiential learning opportunities in other areas of athletics and continues to expand her network. I’m glad she was able to work the Super Bowl. This will no doubt pay off for her big-time in her career.”
Why WVU? “I chose to attend WVU because of the atmosphere. When I toured WVU I immediately fell in love with the program, professors and everything they had to offer,” Friedman said. “I found that there was ample opportunity within the college and WVU athletics for me to get my foot in the door within the industry. That is what was most important to me when deciding on a school.”
“The faculty didn’t see me as just another face in the crowd. They treated me as an individual. WVU stood out to me in my selection process because I felt a sense of home when touring,” Friedman said. “There was a big school/small school feeling at the same time; I knew it was perfect for me.”
Friedman, who plans to graduate in August 2022, currently serves as the alumni relations officer for Sport Management club and as a student manager for the WVU Wrestling team.