When Emily Mitchell ’20 began at Mitchell College, she had a goal of becoming a sitcom writer. As time went on, her interest changed.

“I rediscovered my love of sports and started gravitating towards sports media, such as journalism, broadcasting, social media and video production. As a student, I attended a lot of athletics games on campus and made friends watching post-season baseball in the lobby of the residence halls. I’ve always been someone with a lot of ‘school spirit,’ so I loved going to games of any sport, and as a competitive person, I was passionate about winning, especially during the baseball season,” she said.

Emily majored in communication with a concentration in sport management. She was also one of the students who helped to create Mitchell’s sports broadcasting team through Radio Mitchell. After graduation, she found her way to the Hickory Crawdads, a Minor League Baseball team in North Carolina, affiliated with the Texas Rangers, a Major League Baseball team.

She works as both a group sales executive and on-field host for the Crawdads, sharing her passion for the sport with young and old alike.

“As a group sales executive, I love being able to work with my clients, who are often families or businesses, to create the best experience possible for them. The most challenging aspect of that job is finding creative ways to solve problems, but that makes the job exciting,” Emily said.

As the on-field host, Emily emcees while hosting fan games, like Dizzy Bat, Launch-A-Ball and trivia. She also sings “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in the middle of the 7th inning.

“Being an on-field host allows me to interact with so many fans at the ballpark. It’s also a great way to keep the energy high there, but it can be challenging to stay within the allotted time limit and to make sure younger kids don’t get nervous.”

Thanks to her Mitchell education, however, Emily feels well-equipped to handle many situations that arise in her job.

“I spend most of my day communicating with people. At Mitchell, I learned the basics of effective communication in a business setting and sharpened my communication skills by never being afraid to ask questions.”

She also problem-solves and draws on her understanding of diverse perspectives.

“Nothing is predictable in the sports world, and there are always problems to solve, whether it’s an unaccounted-for food order or a fan upset about a rain delay. Working as a Resident Assistant and being in the Honors Program at Mitchell, I learned how to listen to the needs of others and think creatively about how to solve problems. Also, as someone who moved from New England to North Carolina, I’ve had to address cultural differences here – which has been difficult but rewarding – and have worked to make the Crawdad fan experience more inclusive.”

Emily has a goal of pursuing a graduate degree in marketing or sports management/athletic administration. She credits Mitchell College with pointing her in that direction.

“I was drawn to Mitchell for its location between New York City and Boston. Now I know that Mitchell was the best place for me because of its close community, supportive faculty and staff and the ability to tailor my education to what I needed. Mitchell made it easier to challenge myself academically when I needed it and helped me to realize the passion that I am pursuing now.”