By Chloe Bird ’26, German and Media Double Major

Mount Union has provided me with so many amazing opportunities and experiences. One of my favorite and most valuable experiences I have had up to this point in my academic career was being an intern at the 2025 National Sports Forum (NSF) that took place in Boston, Massachusetts.

The NSF is a large sport business conference where businessmen and women from the MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, and more travel from across the country and world to share ideas and connect. This year, nearly 1,000 people attended this significant event. Being an intern for the NSF was such an eye-opening experience, and made me truly realize that I want to work in sports.

Mount Union has a special connection with the NSF. One of our sport business professors, Dr. Jim Kadlecek, has attended all but one NSF conference. The conference founder, Ron Seaver, knows Jim very well and selects up to eight Mount Union students to be interns. The students must send in a résumé, cover letter, and go through an interview process. This being my first NSF, I worked alongside seven other Mount Union students, including Avery Ollinger, Silas Kadlecek, Will Porter, Ally Ivey, Gabby Smith, Tom Dry, and Jason Csank.

“This opportunity given to me through the Mount Union sport business program has been incredible, and great for advancing my sport career,” Ollinger said. She was named intern MVP for her exceptional effort and attitude at the conference.

It was nice going to the conference with people from Mount Union. Once I made it to Boston, I met so many incredible people who work in the industry, and I heard the stories of their journeys through sports.

The NSF was a three-day conference, and throughout the weekend, I was able to sit in on many breakout sessions and listen to professionals talk about their careers and what they do for work. In my free time, I was able to talk with attendees one-on-one, listen to their ideas, and connect with them on LinkedIn and other platforms. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to talk with attendees and hear how they got to where they are today.

Being a student at Mount Union was a great topic of conversation because even though Mount Union is a smaller school, it is still very well known. I was able to connect with many people by talking about Mount Union and furthering our conversation from there. There was even a Mount Union alumnus at the conference—Haley Jurick ‘15—who has had a ton of success in the sport industry, so it was great being able to meet and talk with her.

Reflecting on my time at NSF has put so much into perspective for me. As a media major with a minor in sport business, my passion for media and sports is deeply rooted. Attending the event showed me that it is possible to combine my passions and work in sports. Mount Union has supplied me with many tools and connections that will help set me up for success in the real world, and I will forever be grateful for Mount Union and the opportunities that I have been given.