Passion for Baseball, Technology Leads Student to Internship Adventures

Elaina Davis is an SDSU senior majoring in MIS

Passion for Baseball, Technology Leads Student to Internship Adventures

Growing up just north of Silicon Valley, Fremont native Elaina Davis was surrounded by technological innovation which motivated her to pursue a degree in management information systems (MIS). “Growing up in the Bay Area fostered my interest in technology innovation and I wanted to learn how to efficiently use technology in business,” she said. “My interest in technology and passion for business management made an MIS degree a perfect way to utilize those skills.” 

Davis, now an SDSU senior, was familiar with San Diego since her father, a Navy veteran, would regularly travel to San Diego for training. She became familiar with San Diego State University (SDSU) through SDSU’s Joan and Art Barron Veterans Center due to its support for military veterans and dependents like herself. “I also learned from friends and family that SDSU offers a great education, which is especially true of the Fowler College of Business,” said Davis. 

Davis had a summer internship with the San Diego Padres in 2018

As she was looking for an internship during the summer of 2018, Davis noted that her degree program caught the eye of a lot of potential employers. “While I was seeking an internship in San Diego, employers would always note and compliment the Fowler College of Business,” she recalled. It was Davis’ passion for baseball that led her to submit an application to the San Diego Padres’ intern program and she was ultimately offered an IT internship with the Padres that summer. 

The internship taught Davis more than how to work with, and solve problems, with cyber security and network systems. “This position also taught me to love where you work,” she noted. “I went to work and made such great memories. I really cherished the fun atmosphere – the Padres set the bar so high, I will never settle for less in a full-time job.” 

Davis and her dog, Dasher, will be moving to Maine after graduation

It also during her internship that she met Ron Fowler, Padres executive chairman and co-owner, who also happens to be the namesake of the Fowler College of Business. Davis was already familiar with Fowler, having written an essay about him and his impact on the community for her Rhetoric & Writing Studies course (RWS100) during her freshman year at SDSU. After meeting Fowler, Davis sent him her essay, which he told her “was really interesting” and he “enjoyed reading.” 

A few months after her internship with the Padres ended, Davis began working at a second internship for Tilson Technology Management, a national broadband engineering and IT consulting firm, which has an office in San Diego. After three months as an intern, she was offered a part-time positon as a junior business systems analyst which allowed her to experience business travel within the U.S. She will work for Tilson full-time as a project coordinator for government consulting after she graduates from SDSU in May 2020. 

Davis’ full-time position with Tilson will prompt her to transfer from her native California to the company’s headquarters in Portland, Maine. Though this is a significant change of scenery for her and her dog, Dasher, it’s a move that she is looking forward to. “I can’t wait to make an impact as I work to build America’s information infrastructure,” said Davis. “I am ecstatic to start my adventure on the East Coast and give my dog the life he deserves!”