Alumni Story

We were given the tools we needed to be successful.”

Shemya Stanback is a recent graduate of Catawba College. She was a member of the Women’s Basketball team and a student in the Sports Management program.

Shemya describes her experience in the Sport Management program as “exciting.” She noted that she learned several valuable lessons during her time in the program, two of which were the importance of networking and taking advantage of the opportunities presented to you.

She said, “Both Dr. Aagaard and Dr. Carlton made sure we were able to expand our knowledge about sports by doing more than just learning in the classroom. We were very hands-on, we helped with the ACC, took educational field trips like going to DC, and explored their sports facilities.”

“We also got to participate in the National Collegiate Sales Competition in Atlanta where I got to network. Overall, it was a great experience that I wouldn't have had without this program. During the monthly trips, we were able to network and learn about the opportunities closer to us.  We traveled to places like LEARFIELD, Charlotte Speedway, and to Duke (University) and Carolina (UNC-Chapel Hill). We were given the tools we needed to be successful,” she added.

Catawba helped prepare Shemya for her career after graduation through internships, monthly trips, graduate trips, and more.

Today, Shemya is working for ESPN Events. Her responsibilities include planning college events for softball, football, basketball, and gymnastics.

She said, “I’ve been able to help with the Vegas Showdown and the Famous Toastery Bowl. What I love the most about my job is that I get the opportunity to do a little bit of everything involving the event, from operations to social media.”