Spotlights
10 Questions with alumna Angie Cena
Hometown? Mason, Michigan. Go Bulldogs! While at Mason HS, I was a member of the varsity basketball & soccer teams and participated in the ski & snowboard club, national honors society and was on the school newspaper. (Naturally, I loved covering sports)
GVSU Graduation Year? Class of 2016!
Favorite Class? I’m not sure if I had a favorite class while attending GVSU, however, any class taught by Chelsea Brehm was the best. To this day, she is still a mentor of mine and someone I look up to.
Favorite Memory as a Laker? I have far too many ‘favorite’ memories as a Laker to choose just one...But I will say, GVSU will always hold a special place in my heart. I’m forever thankful for the relationships, friendships, lessons and opportunities that my time in Allendale gave me. From Saturday morning tailgates before football games, ordering too much Papa John’s with my roommates using our debit dollars, to late night Intramural games with friends- I cherish it all. (And I’d give anything to go back and do it all over again!)
Jobs you've had thus far (including internships)? My career in sports began my sophomore year of college. I applied/was hired as the GVSU Intramural Office Assistant and from there, I created my own path with Campus Recreation. I was promoted to Office Coordinator for Competitive Sports and took on other roles such as On-Site Competitive Sports Supervisor and Marketing/Events Intern for Club Sports. Kate Harmon, Eric Garvelink & Mitch Eastlick continued to provide me with opportunities to grow/learn year after year and I am incredibly grateful for that.
Outside of GVSU, I interned for the David D. Hunting YMCA assisting with their Inner-City Youth Baseball/Softball League. (Fun fact, I am still involved with the DDH YMCA programs today!) I also took advantage of any/all volunteer opportunities that allowed me to learn the event management side of sports.
Favorite Quote? “Follow your passion. It will lead you to your purpose.” Oprah Winfrey
Advice for Current Sport Management Students? My advice for current Sport Management is to put yourself in the right position to truly learn/understand the business side of sports. So often when I’m interviewing potential interns, I ask people why they want the job and they tell me “Well, I love sports” and that’s not enough. We all love sports but showing me that you have given up time to volunteer/job shadow/intern, etc. to learn the business side of the sports industry goes a long way.
Current Job? Events Coordinator, West Michigan Sports Commission
How I landed my current job? Ironically, I landed my current job from my connections at GVSU. My senior year, I took the Event & Facility Management class taught by adjunct professor, Jamie Schlagel- who at the time, was the National Sales Manager at the Sports Commission. I stayed in touch with her throughout grad school and when the Sports Commission created the Events Coordinator position, she encouraged me to apply and I got the job. (Thanks, Jamie!)
Favorite thing I’ve done in my current role? In my 3 years with the Sports Commission, my favorite thing (or should I say event) I’ve been a part of was in 2017 when we hosted the International Softball Congress World Tournament. When you’re in an events role, you start to work on events 1-1.5 years before they happen. So, to be on-site and watch all our hard work come together was an incredible moment for myself and our team. Those are the moments where the hard work and 16-hour days are worth it, because you truly love what you do.
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