Summer Internship: A Day in the Life of Jacinda Molina

Management Student with a Specialization in Entrepreneurship and Minor in Marketing

Jacinda tours SoFi Stadium on her final day of the program.

Hello! My name is Jacinda Molina and I am a senior at San Diego State University and will be graduating in May 2022. I am majoring in Business Management with a Specialization in Entrepreneurship and minoring in Marketing. In addition to my roles as a Marketing Assistant for the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center and a student in the Lavin Entrepreneur Program, I am also a 2021-2022 Marketing Intern for SDSU’s Aztec Athletics. 

This summer, I had the opportunity to grow my career in sports event management through my participation in the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission’s (LASEC) Professional Development Program. LASEC is the nonprofit organization officially designated by Los Angeles Tourism to attract, secure and support high-profile sports and entertainment events in Los Angeles. I was selected as one of 31 students from 23 universities to develop critical job training and communication skills required to succeed in the sports industry. 

My peers and I participated in interactive sessions with Los Angeles sports executives discussing sales, marketing, public relations, communications, event/venue management, operations, community relations, and partnership strategy. Our six week program consisted of five weeks meeting remotely and the final week meeting in-person in Downtown Los Angeles. Over this time, I developed close relationships with both my fellow participants and my assigned mentor. 

Below is a glimpse at a remote day in the Professional Development Program:

8:30 am - With some extra time in the morning before starting my program, I use the first couple hours of my day to either workout or get ahead on responding to emails I save for the end of my day. These few extra hours can make all the difference in my daily productivity!

10:00 am - After clocking in and logging onto Zoom, I am greeted by my bosses and peers at LASEC. The first hour of our day is usually focused on our leadership development. Our topics include identifying our strengths and our values, practicing difficult interview questions, and presenting our elevator pitches for the whole class. This time also allows for my fellow program participants and I to get to know each other better and learn from one another.

11:00 am - Following our leadership development session, our program pivots to spend most of our day learning from various panels. Our first panel of the day was with executives from STAPLES Center and AEG. The speakers of this session focused on their experiences in events management and marketing (my favorite topics!). Following introductions, our program was invited to ask questions and connect with the panelists after the session.

12:30 pm - After taking a thirty-minute lunch, I was very excited to spend the second panel of the day with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The executives on this panel discussed their positions in sports foundation and philanthropy work, public relations, and international scouting. I was blown away by the wisdom this panel provided and especially enjoyed hearing from the Dodgers Foundation.

Molina and fellow interns touring the LA Rams locker room inside SoFi Stadium

1:30 pm - To wrap up our panels for the day, our third session focused on college athletics. Executives from UCLA Athletics, USC Athletics, Pepperdine Athletics, and LMU Athletics discussed their work in student-athlete development, facilities, and program direction. This panel especially resonated with me as I am just beginning my internship with SDSU’s Aztec Athletics. 

2:30 pm - The last hour of our LASEC program is used as off-Zoom work time. Through this program, I have developed a new professional resume, cover letter, and portfolio to highlight my experiences. Our off-Zoom time is used to work and better these various projects. I also use this time to connect with panelists from earlier in the day.

3:30 pm - And before I know it, my day at LASEC is done. However, my work day does not end here. At this time, I will join meetings with my team at the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center and continue my responsibilities as a Marketing Specialist. 

I am incredibly thankful for all of the opportunities the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission provided me in their Professional Development Program. This program has allowed me to further my passion for coordinating and attracting high-profile events. I am excited to apply the knowledge learned in these six weeks and plan to maintain the relationships I established in this program.