Sasha Barnett ‘26 is the second student to be featured in the “Career Moves” series, which highlights the achievements of Elon University students and alumni who credit staff in Elon’s Student Professional Development Center (SPDC) with helping them achieve their professional goals.
When Sasha Barnett ‘26 toured potential universities, the schools made her feel that she should be grateful for their acceptance, not the other way around. Once the tour for Elon University came about, Barnett felt like Elon was grateful for her. Barnett came to Elon as a Communications Fellow, choosing to double major in strategic communications and sport management, with a minor in psychology, hoping to combine her love of digital media and her love of sports. Her goal was to be a social media and digital content creator for an NHL team.
Enter the SPDC
Barnett heard about the Student Professional Development Center during her first year in her Elon 1010 class. It was then that Barnett reached out to the office for guidance and advice. She connected with Alison Doherty, associate director of career services for the School of Communications. Doherty instantly became a helping hand for Barnett throughout all communications and career-related subjects. Working with Doherty also helped improve Barnett’s confidence.
“Alison helped me with a bunch of different things such as my LinkedIn account, my resume and I developed a connection with her. I improved on the writing of my cover letters, resume and interview etiquette. She would pick up on the little details I may have missed, and we bounced ideas back and forth between each internship. She was a guide throughout the journey,” Barnett said.
Barnett’s internship search accidentally started as a class assignment when a professor wanted her class to reach out and speak to professionals working in facilities and event management. Sasha was able to interview a member of the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers. She utilized the skills obtained throughout her meetings with Amber Moser, the director of internships in the School of Communications. Barnett says the center was helpful and it was easy to make appointments, while the staff were not intimidating. The resources were abundant, and the advisors made it very easy for her to navigate the internship process.
Scoring the internship
Barnett was excited to earn the summer internship with the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers as the luxury suites intern.
“To be in the thick of the sports world, especially professional off-season football, was a surreal experience,” Barnett said.
Barnett knew she could not miss the opportunity to work with the Steelers and moved to Pittsburgh by herself – her first time in the city. Working five days a week at the Acrisure Stadium with four other interns, there was plenty of pre-work that needed to be done for the upcoming fall season with 130 suites maintained under her supervisor. Barnett was able to work two preseason games, a Liverpool vs. Real Betis soccer match, a Kenny Chesney concert, and helped arrange and manage the annual suite tasting event for suite owners and guests. One of her projects was to create a suite attendant handbook for future staff members, utilizing her executive office tasks, and answered phones.
Barnett saw the dedication from the employees she interacted with. This inspired her and taught her how to show up with a “110% mentality.” She learned how to match the fast-paced sports environment and adapt.
“There were meaningful lessons learned both personally and professionally,” Barnett said. “There’s no way that I would’ve gotten the opportunities I did without the SPDC. It is such an encouraging environment, and they are there to help you succeed, to help you do well with your journey, right from the get-go, and they are set up to help students.”