Eleven Warriors Internship

Over the course of this semester, I have had the privilege to be a student intern at Eleven Warriors, a Columbus-based sports site that focuses on Ohio State athletics. I now work with professionals in the sports journalism industry whose works I have been reading for the past five years.

At Eleven Warriors, I write three weekly pieces: Inside the Box, Five Things, and Ten Reasons to Hate. Inside the Box is a statistical game-analysis of Ohio State’s latest football game. I utilize stats from the game that can explain what went right and what went wrong. Continuing, I also attempt to find seasonal trends. For example, if one unit has been stepping up lately, my numbers and data will show that. The data allows me to support my claims and elaborate why something is occurring. Five Things is a simple preview of Ohio State’s next opponent. Specifically, the small piece looks at the coach, both sides of the ball, the history of the opposing program, and what to watch for during the matchup. Finally, Ten Reasons to Hate is a comedic article that pokes fun at the opposing team. It could include stereotypes about their school, something funny about their state, or even their ugly mascot.

My time in Eleven Warriors has allowed me to learn more about sports, which is a great passion of mine. While I realize that making a career out of this is unlikely, the idea of working in the sports analytics field greatly interests me. This opportunity has provided me with a stepping stone into the industry, future references (as needed), and has allowed me to be proud of and passionate about the pieces that I write. Finally, my time with the site has greatly improved my writing. As it turns out, writing about 2,500 words a week tends to help polish your skills.

Future Internship Search

For my Collegium project this year, I am trying to secure a summer internship in 2019. A summer internship would allow me to put another great spot on my resume, improve my post-graduation odds of landing a job I want, and give me real-world experience in what I have been learning in the classroom.

As of now, I have applied to Huntington, SAS, and a number of other places. Of the places I have applied, Huntington is a top option. Their analytics department matched with finance is closely related to my major and would provide incredible real-world experience.

Honda, Meijer, and ESPN remain as some of my top choices for companies I have not applied for yet. Honda, which has a great plant in my hometown, would be fantastic for analytics in product development and logistics. This past summer, I worked at a Meijer Distribution Center. This coming summer, I am hoping to build off of this and work at their headquarters for the summer doing logistical and finance data work. As for ESPN, my time with Eleven Warriors has interested me in some ways to pursue a career in sports analytics. An internship at ESPN would give me an unrivaled experience.

Continuing, I have reached out to people at both Huntington and ESPN to ask questions. As of now, I have received no response, but hopefully networking with people in the industry will allow me to learn more about their respective companies.

The Road to Graduation Through a Coursework Lens

I am on track to graduate in four years. That is the good news.

The bad news is that my schedule will likely be absolutely awful for at least three of my remaining five semesters.

But, that comes with the territory of Data Analytics. So, let’s move on. Next semester, I plan on taking Accounting for non-majors, a Santiago study abroad class, Foundations of computer software, macroeconomics, and maybe a class on sports analytics. Looking to the future, I have four more stats classes to take, six more computer science courses to take, and at least three more business courses to take. Other than that, I still must work to fulfill my literature GE and foreign language requirement.

As for GPA, I did not perform up to my standards last semester. Because of this, I must work extremely hard the rest of the way to ensure I end my college career with a stellar GPA.