Marissa Avanzato, a 2016 Worcester State University graduate and former member of the Worcester State softball team, has been selected to attend the 2017 NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar from January 25-27 held at the NCAA National Office in Indianapolis, Ind.

The NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar is an annual three-day professional development program that provides effective leadership, educational and transition programming to more than 200 graduate assistants and interns from NCAA member schools, conference offices and affiliate organizations.  

“I’m excited to learn more about the NCAA and learn more about myself as a person,” stated Avanzato. “I also am eager to hear from current professionals in media relations and see what they have done to get to where they are today.”

The seminar is also is a great networking opportunity for young collegiate athletic professionals. “I’m excited to meet new people that share the same passion as I do in working in college athletics,” added Avanzato. “I’m also looking forward to growing my network community and meeting future connections that may help me in the near future.”

Avanzato is currently working as a Media Relations Intern with the Villanova Athletic Department. In her role, she is the primary media relations contact for the Wildcats field hockey, men’s & women’s tennis, and rowing teams, while also serving as the secondary contact for baseball. She also works with the football and men’s & women’s basketball teams.

“With the men’s basketball team winning the National Championship last year and still doing very well this year, it has made this experience so surreal than I could ever imagine,” said Avanzato. “Being able to sit in on press conferences and sitting courtside for every game has been awesome.”

Prior to her time as an intern with Villanova Athletics, Avanzato worked with Worcester State’s baseball team and also volunteered with the Worcester State Sports Information Department. “Working for Dr. Dirk Baker helped me learn how to do media projects and made me realize I have a passion working for college athletics. Volunteering with the sports information department and learning the statistics program was also a huge help.”

During her time at Worcester State, Avanzato was the President of the Communications Honor Society Lambda Pi Eta, a member of the MASCAC Spring 2014, 2016, and 2016 All-Academic team, and a member of the Tau Chapter of the National College Athlete Honor Society, Chi Sigma Alpha.

“Being a student-athlete has most definitely helped me because I feel like I can relate to all the hard work and time student-athletes put in on their everyday lives,” said Avanzato. “I understand what they go through, and learning time management skills as an athlete has helped me to juggle three different sports going on in one day with time constraints.”

“From my communication classes and learning how to write press releases, to my design classes, Worcester State has prepared me for this internship more than I could ever thank them,” concluded Avanzato.