From Fenway to center court: Salve students intern and work with iconic sports teams and organizations

This summer, Salve communications, finance and marketing students found themselves on the sidelines of Fenway Park and the Cape Cod Baseball League, the broadcast compounds of NBC Sports and the event operations offices of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Some spent their days creating social media content, others coordinated major sporting events and one worked just feet away from the world's best golfer during a nationally televised tournament.

While each internship and work opportunity looked different, they shared common threads: a willingness to say yes to new opportunities connections made in Newport and the confidence to apply classroom lessons in high-pressure, real-world settings.

Along the way, they discovered that careers in sports extend far beyond the game itself.

Kate Keane '28: Creating unforgettable moments at Fenway Park

Long before she landed a job with the Boston Red Sox, communications major Kate Keane '28 knew exactly where she hoped her career would take her.

"My goal would be Red Sox social media," she said. "I just wanted to get a foot in the door."

After a competitive three-round interview process, Keane joined the Red Sox's fan and youth engagement team, introducing young fans to baseball while helping create memorable game-day experiences at Fenway Park.

No two days are the same. On home game days, she arrives hours before first pitch, helping to greet season ticket holders, distributing promotional giveaways during cultural heritage nights, assisting with mascots and making sure every fan feels welcome.

"I'm really just trying to make the fan experience better and more engaging and trying to bring more kids into baseball," she said.

The role has also introduced her to professionals working in the exact career she hopes to pursue. This summer, she met with the Red Sox's social media manager over coffee and is preparing to shadow her during a game day later this season.

"I feel so much better about moving forward after having this experience," Keane said. "I feel like I have such a great network."

Keane credits Salve's communications program for giving her confidence entering the role, particularly classes with assistant professor Dr. Hyoyeun Jun, whose course, COM360: Social Media Strategies, introduced her to analytics and digital strategy. But she also points to something less tangible.

"Having the mercy mission in the back of my mind, I'm always thinking, 'How can I meet this fan with compassion?'"

Whether helping a confused guest, comforting a disappointed fan after a rainout or creating magical moments for children, she says that mindset has shaped the way she approaches every interaction.

Griffin Caiozzo '27: Behind the scenes at the International Tennis Hall of Fame

For marketing major Griffin Caiozzo '27, one visit to Newport's Bellevue Ave. turned into a career opportunity.

As a first-year student, he toured the International Tennis Hall of Fame with Salve's men's lacrosse team and met members of the staff. Rather than letting the connection end there, he stayed in touch.

"I kept sending emails and trying to stay at the top of their inbox," he said.

His persistence paid off with a paid internship on the Hall of Fame's revenue team, where he helps coordinate sponsorships, donor relations and major international events, including preparations for Roger Federer's Hall of Fame induction.

One of his first assignments was solving a project that had frustrated staff for years: creating a searchable digital map of more than 1,600 engraved donor bricks so visitors could quickly locate theirs.  

"It almost felt like a joke," he laughed. "There was a big pile of bricks just sitting in our office." But by the end of the summer, visitors finally had an easy way to find their names during one of the Hall of Fame's busiest seasons.

His previous experience founding a nonprofit dedicated to building a skatepark in his hometown also proved invaluable. Years spent fundraising, networking and advocating for community support prepared him for professional relationship-building.

"My ability for public speaking and emailing, cold calling, creating rapport and building off old rapport really came into play here," he said.

The internship has also clarified his future career goals.

"I found that I really enjoy event planning and networking and just seeing people together having a good time," he said. "I want to create more opportunities for that going forward."

Daniel Naglieri '26: Working inside NBC Sports' biggest broadcasts

Sometimes career opportunities begin by simply being in the right place at the right time. For Daniel Naglieri '26, the right place was Newport.

For finance major Naglieri, working at Newport Country Club during a summer between semesters in 2024 provided him with the opportunity to work the U.S. Senior Open. NBC Sports needed local workers to assist its production crew, and he volunteered.

Because he was already in NBC's system and based in Newport and his hometown of Long Island, he was invited back for additional tournaments, including this summer's U.S. Open at Southampton, NY's Shinnecock Hills, where he worked alongside one of the network's most accomplished camera operators.

His role as a utility assistant placed him directly in the action, helping set up camera positions and supporting live tournament coverage from before sunrise until well after sunset.

Assigned to follow world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler's featured group, Naglieri spent entire rounds just a few yards from one of golf's biggest stars.

"I was standing so close to Scottie Scheffler that I would hear his conversations with his caddie. It was such a cool experience," Naglieri shared.

Equally memorable was working alongside an ESPY Award-winning cameraman who had filmed some of the most iconic moments in sports history.

"He filmed Tiger Woods when he won the Masters in 2019," Naglieri said. "He was telling me all these stories while we were walking, and I learned so much being able to work under him."

Olivia Catala '27: Social media strategies for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox

As head social media coordinator for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, communications major Olivia Catala '27 has become a notable creative voice behind one of the Cape Cod Baseball League's busiest accounts.

Working from late morning until after games each night, she oversees the team's Instagram, X and Facebook channels while producing graphics, videos and behind-the-scenes content that showcases players beyond their statistics.

Her strategy focuses less on scores and more on storytelling. "Getting the players' personalities in the content is able to show they have a soft side, that they're not just athletes, and that really resonates with viewers."

That approach has transformed the team's social presence. Players who were initially hesitant to appear in videos are now eager participants, helping create lighthearted content that has attracted millions of profile views. "Since I've started, we've gained over 700 followers on Instagram," she said. "Our analytics are flying up."

Catala has also learned how quickly social media professionals must adapt. When the team's broadcasting system unexpectedly failed before a pregame show, the staff pivoted immediately, streaming live from Instagram instead.

"We were like, 'All right, we're going to go live from Instagram,'" she said. "We relied on our experiences so far and trusted that we could perform under pressure, and we did."

The internship has reinforced what she already suspected: sports is exactly where she belongs.

"Having this real-world experience, paired with what I've learned at Salve, has shown me that I know exactly what path I want to go down now," she said. Like many aspiring sports marketers, she dreams of one day working for the Boston Red Sox. But this summer has already given her something just as valuable: proof that she's capable of succeeding in the fast-paced, creative world of sports communications.