PITTSBURGH TIES
Growing up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, sports had an immediate impact on my life. The culture of this city strongly revolves around the performance of its sports teams, and I quickly became accustomed to that. Whether it was the Steelers losing a playoff game, the Pirates failing to make the playoffs or the Penguins losing in the cup final, sports made me feel all the emotions.
Family and influence
I began playing sports at just five years old with soccer and hockey being the focus. The Penguins quickly became my favorite team due to my father Greg. Greg was a season ticket holder and showed me just how impactful sports in Pittsburgh are from a young age. Feeling like a part of something was such a strong emotion and what I enjoy most. Supporting a team or player is something a group of strangers can get behind and that is what makes sports so special.
Education and experiences
Sports have remained a consistently important part of my life even after I stopped playing them. After deciding to attend Slippery Rock University in 2020 I had to find ways to keep that attachment to sports without actively participating in them. For me, it was through writing, photography, and podcasting. After taking my first two years to land on this goal I started brainstorming ideas on what I could do to set myself apart. Being a Multimedia Journalism major would not be enough to lead me where I wanted to be so, in 2023 I joined our student-run newspaper The Rocket as the assistant sports editor. Along with The Rocket, a fellow student and I pioneered the first-ever sports podcast show here at Slippery Rock titled AW Sports. Finally, I applied for and received an internship with the University of Pittsburgh athletics where I got to write, do photography, take stats, and have many more incredible experiences. I found that these things gave me that adrenaline rush that playing sports did as a kid and since I re-established that connection I have not looked back.
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