Indiana State University Newsroom

Indiana State University students attended the 17th Annual Pacers Sports & Entertainment Career Fair at Banker's Life Fieldhouse on Feb. 16, where they learned from and networked with representatives from sports and entertainment industries.

Organizations at the fair included: the Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy Eleven, Columbus Blue Jackets, USA Football, National Basketball Academy and more.

From 10 a.m. to noon, attendees chose from two of the breakout sessions on the following topics: marketing, corporate sales, ticket sales, basketball operations, finance, broadcasting, communication, human resources or facilities and event services. For Rachel Eckerle, a senior majoring in communication from Plainfield, the chance to hear from a local sports communications professional was the highlight of the trip.

"I was delighted that Bill Benner led the communication breakout session," Eckerle said. "He possesses a wealth of knowledge, gained throughout his career in sports-writing and communication. It was remarkable to hear him recount the history of Indiana sports that he has been a part of during his career."

Jasmine Davis, a senior communication major from Indianapolis, attended the career fair in hopes to find a full-time career or internship for after she graduates.

"There were opportunities for me to talk face-to-face with professionals about the jobs that interest me," Davis said. "I am looking for an event management job, and this career fair helped me know what their day looks like. It also gave me more details about what they do."

From noon to 4 p.m., students networked with representatives from the sports and entertainment field. Antonio Turner, a senior communication major, left the event with new connections and insight.

"Every person we spoke to at the career fair talked about their experiences before having the job they have now," Turner said. "I'm very grateful for the opportunity to network with professionals who want to help out those seeking to get what they have already achieved."

More than a dozen communication students committed to take the grant-funded trip to Indianapolis for the event, said Jennifer Mullen, communication instructor and organizer.

The experience for these students was made possible by the Focus Indiana initiative at Indiana State, funded by a $3 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., which facilitates the university to build job readiness skills into its curriculum and expand its Career Center.