Brianna Root, a senior at Post University is embarking on an opportunity of a lifetime – she landed a coveted internship with the Baltimore Orioles. For Brianna it was love at first swing, and she’s been in love with the sport ever since.
“Growing up I would always watch the New York Yankees with my Papa. I had the baseball cards and I could tell you Jorge Posada’s batting average off the top of my head,” she muses. “Learning the game from my Papa and bonding with him truly started my love for the game.”
Once in high school, Brianna found a way to participate in the game she loved so much. For four summers, she worked for the Bristol Blues Baseball Club, a wood bat league in Connecticut. Every summer for the past four years, she has been learning the ins-and-outs of the game – everything from making schedules and payroll, to game day operations.
Now at Post University, Brianna found a way to combine her love for the diamond with her future goals in business. She is currently a double major in Sport Management and Communications and Media Studies. She is an active student on-campus. When Brianna is not in lectures, she is in training with her Division II Volleyball team, holding meetings as President of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and brainstorming initiatives with the University Sustainability Committee. She is also a peer mentor for high school students and a Resident Assistant. She was a recipient of the $2,000 Malcolm Baldrige School of Business Scholarship, solidifying her identity as a dynamic and dedicated Post University student.
Soon she found herself yearning to be back near the smell of clay and peanuts, so she applied for the internship with the Baltimore Orioles. While she awaited her fate, she registered for the 2018 Major League Baseball’s Winter Meeting to meet with potential employers. To her surprise, she hit a double – she received news of her acceptance into the Orioles internship program and, then, in December, traveled Las Vegas to attend the winter meeting and network with industry professionals.
Beginning on January 7, Root will begin her internship with the Orioles. She ready to be fully immersed in all business aspects of the club team from game day operations, executing training of the event staff, and working with the Baltimore Orioles Organization.
And when asked if she feels intimidated to join such a male-dominated field, she feels nothing but excitement. “Women have been in the sports business world more and more the past few years,” says Brianna. “If you want to be successful in your career, I don’t think about gender. Maybe it’s my athletic background, but I thrive off competition and being the best that I can be. I view job opportunities by skill sets. The individual who has a better skill set is going to be the one to get the job. This internship will expand my skills.” As far as her future plans, she says her goal is to become a minor league general manager. “I have to put my best foot forward every day and let nothing stand in my way.”
As she goes up to bat in her next role, she looks back on her Post experience with appreciation and pride. “My studies at Post have prepared me for this opportunity,” she says. “The professors have worked in the fields they are teaching, and they offer real-world experiences that I will bring with me to Baltimore.” She also encourages her fellow peers to take advantage of all the opportunities Post has to offer. “Be outgoing and make sure to network with as many people as you can.”
We know she will hit this opportunity out of the park. Congratulations, Brianna!