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Samantha Creech ’18 was preparing to fly to Florida to interview for a job with the Miami Dolphins when she called human resources to find out who she would be meeting with.

“I researched the people I’d be interviewing with on LinkedIn, like my hospitality instructors always tell us to do. One of them used to work for the Bobcats and one for the Hornets. I have mutual friends with the former Hornets employee. I used my resources and my connections!”

After a four-hour interview, Creech was offered the Membership Development Associate job on the spot. She’ll work all home games, help sell luxury suites and work in group sales. She credits the College of Hospitality Management and her Sports, Entertainment, Event — Management (SEEM) program faculty.

“They guide us, they want us to succeed,” she says. “They met with me on their own time. They helped me with my cover letter. If we show them we really want it, they help us.”

"Everything about this school has helped me get to where I want to be."

“We help students develop their leadership skills and professionalism to set them up to be successful in their careers,” says Sunil Atreya, college chair. “Our mentoring program, the Sports Marketing club, the internship opportunities, and the one-on-one faculty advising are all strategic in nature and made available to all students. This is simply the standard level of care delivered by professors in the SEEM program and the College of Hospitality Management.”

Creech started her academic career at a junior college in Raleigh and then at Appalachian State University where she studied communications. But as a hardcore baseball and football fan who spews stats, she says she needed to switch to a sports major.

“I wanted to know more. It was not fun being behind, but it’s worth it now. When you transfer and you don’t live on campus, it’s a whole new world.”

Her ace? Volleyball. She played before and it was on her JWU transfer application, so head coach Callie Phillips called her. Ironically, she was accepted to JWU the day she tried out for the Wildcats. And that’s how she started becoming truly engaged on campus.

“Everything about this school has helped me get to where I want to be,” notes Creech. “If you take advantage of all of the programs JWU offers, you’ll be successful.”

The diehard Patriots fan admits it’s going to be challenging rooting for the Dolphins, but she’s thrilled one of her New England heroes, wide receiver Danny Amendola, signed on with Miami. And the 2020 Super Bowl will be held right outside her office door.