In the past six years, Jessica Porter has moved from interning at the World TeamTennis National Headquarters in New York City, to working as a Sales Representative for the Miami Heat to serving as an Account Executive at the Orange Bowl Committee. How did she do it? Hard work says Porter.

Porter first demonstrated her work ethic while at Nichols. As an athlete, she played tennis and lacrosse and was selected by the NCAA to represent Nichols at NCAA¹s National Student-Athlete Development Conference in Orlando, Florida. She was named to the First Team All-Conference team during her four years at Nichols. From an academic perspective, Porter found her sport management classes the most helpful. "Because of their real-life experience in the world of sports, my professors were able to take the information in the text book and apply it to their real life experiences. They taught us in a way we could understand rather than just having us read out of a book," she says.

Porter credits the Professional Development Seminar (PDS) with teaching her how to handle interview questions and build her resume. Through the more than 100 presentations she had to give throughout her time at Nichols, she developed confidence in speaking in front of large groups, a highly valued skill in her job as a sales representative.

What is the key to Porter¹s continued success? "Recognizing that everyone wants to work in sports, but it takes more than just being a fan to succeed," she says. "This field is constantly changing and evolving. However, if you are willing to work hard, the perks of the job make it all worth it", she adds.