Learning didn’t stop during spring break for dozens of Falk College students who took part in immersive travel opportunities. The college offers a wide array of travel programs for students, with and being pillars of the experience.

Three immersion travel programs this spring provided Falk students with unique opportunities for hands-on learning from leading industry professionals, while also discovering and embracing different cultures.

Ireland

Students enrolled in the Sport Culture in Ireland class spent nine days in Ireland over spring break. The group of 13 students, comprised of and majors, traveled to iconic Irish spots such as the Cliffs of Moher, Temple Bar and Kilmainham Gaol to experience the culture of Ireland.

The students visited the Na Fienna Gaelic Athletic Association club, where they participated in Gaelic football, hurling and handball games with classmates while learning about the sports’ history and impact in Ireland. At University College Dublin’s Institute for Sport and Health, experts in the fields of sports medicine and exercise science gave insightful presentations about injury and rehabilitation research. At a visit to the Leinster Rugby Club, students learned from team officials about the role of technology in athlete development and what it takes to manage a winning sport organization.

Visit the to learn more about the students’ experiences in Ireland.

Italy

Falk College students enjoy a cooking lesson in Italy.

In each of the last two springs, students in the Italian Football: Impact and Outcomes class have visited Italy to meet with representatives from Serie A soccer clubs and learn about Italian culture surrounding soccer, or calcio.

The students on this year’s trip met with representatives from Soccerment, an Italy-based artificial intelligence platform seeking to accelerate the adoption of data analytics into soccer; networked with front office officials from Bologna FC; and toured Viola Park, home of ACF Fiorentina. Students experienced exciting Serie A matchups at Stadio G. Sinigaglia, home of the Como 1907 football club, and Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, home of Inter Milan. Aside from soccer, students toured historic locations such as the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Milan Cathedral. On the final day of the trip, students learned how to make authentic Italian pasta from scratch.

Los Angeles

Falk College students visit SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Students have enjoyed the Falk in Los Angeles Career Exploration trip for more than a decade. Open to all Falk students, the trip offers students the opportunity to connect with industry professionals, explore career paths and visit leading organizations in one of the country’s largest sport markets.

This year’s trip included stops at the NFL Network, FOX Sports, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, the Rose Bowl and more. Students met and networked with Falk’s extensive based in southern California to set themselves up for successful careers in the industry.

“I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. HDFS has done a great job and supports every student possible,” Konjufca says, “If it wasn’t for HDFS, I probably wouldn’t know where I want to go in life, but now it’s amazing to have that idea of ‘Yeah, this is exactly it.’”

Konjufca wants to be a child life specialist who helps children and their families navigate illness, disability or hospitalization. In the fall of 2024, with the support of human development and family science faculty (particularly undergraduate director and professor of practice ), Konjufca launched the ���ϲ����� chapter of the nonprofit , which facilitates play sessions, called Here to Play, at children’s hospitals nationwide.

“Their whole motto is that play heals and so we come in and do crafts with the kids and foster a lot of play,” Konjufca says. “The play sessions help normalize life during a hospital stay for children, which can often be an unfamiliar experience.”

Human Development and Family Science majors Jonida Konjufca (left) and Kate Harrington are charter members of the ���ϲ����� chapter of the nationwide non-profit Project Sunshine.

The University chapter of Project Sunshine partners with and arranges for students like Konjufca to visit the hospital for play sessions with patients. Activities include painting, coloring, using stickers and making “slime” out of shaving cream. The space at Golisano is filled with playroom items such as books, dollhouses, a piano and video games to help children feel at home during their hospital stays.

Konjufca says her experience with Project Sunshine and Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital has been fulfilling.

“One of my first events I was solo and was just starting it and I had a mom tell me her son hasn’t come out of his room in a really long time,” Konjufca says. “And so, she said, ‘I’m happy to see him do crafts. Even if it’s just for 30 minutes, he’s getting out and doing something.’ She was very appreciative.”

Here to Play sessions occur every month for a two-hour block. All University students, regardless of major, are welcome to join Project Sunshine.

“It’s a really fun thing to do, even if you’re not on the child life specialist route,” Konjufca says. “It gives you diverse experiences and it’s a rewarding feeling. You get to come do crafts with kids. Every time I leave, I’ve had so much fun.”

For those interested in joining the Project Sunshine chapter on campus, please contact Konjufca at ���ϲ�����u@projectsunshine.org for more information. You can also apply to volunteer with Project Sunshine through our .

Lega Serie A USA Managing Director Andy Mitchell addresses a classroom of Falk College students

, managing director of Lega Serie A USA (the American division of Italy’s preeminent soccer league), recently visited Falk College to speak with students in the SPM/SAL 300 “Italian Football: Impact and Outcomes” class. The course includes a , where the students will meet with Serie A organizations and other industry leaders while learning about the culture of Italy.

We asked sport analytics major Sebastian Bush ’27 about this opportunity to meet Mitchell and ask questions ahead of the Italy trip. Here’s what he wrote:

“When I heard about the opportunity to visit Italy over spring break and learn about the traditions associated with Italian calcio, or soccer as we know it, I knew I had to sign up. The class, “Italian Football: Impact and Outcomes,” isn’t just about the trip, though, it’s an exploration of what makes Italian soccer so unique.

Sport analytics major Sebastian Bush ’27 (center) was one of the many students who had questions for Andy Mitchell

“For example, on Feb. 14 we had the incredible opportunity to hear from the CEO and managing director of Lega Serie A USA, Andy Mitchell. He spoke about his upbringing and early sports fandom, his career path that led him from CNN to Meta, and finally his journey to working in the highest levels of soccer and sports marketing.

Mitchell credited his early experience in the digital landscape as a major factor in his career success. He recounted being “the last man in the pecking order” as a young employee at CNN and therefore being handed digital and website responsibilities that no one else wanted. He found that area of development interesting, and it led him to ultimately becoming vice president of digital marketing and partnerships.

It wasn’t until a few years ago, however, that Mitchell found his way back to sports. He had never been a huge soccer fan, but after learning about the game both he and his family quickly became infatuated with it. He soon set a goal to work in the industry. Now, over one year into his job at the U.S. office of Serie A, the premier soccer competition in Italy, Mitchell has expanded the league’s reach throughout North America.

His passion for spreading calcio across the United States is clear. From newsletters to corporate partnerships to social media and community-driven campaigns, Mitchell and his small staff have achieved quite a lot. Getting to hear about the complexities of these deals as well as Mitchell’s day-to-day responsibilities and challenges was an amazing glimpse into the elaborate world of Italian soccer.

One highlight of  Mitchell’s talk was hearing his insight into how he and his colleagues support Serie A teams and players in United States-based initiatives. For example, he talked about working with Puma and the agent for U.S. Men’s National Team star Christian Pulisic to build the Pulisic Stomping Grounds, a community-forward philanthropic effort to support youth soccer across the country.

This was just one of the many efforts Lega Serie A USA has been involved with, and it’s a great example of some of the incredible work that goes on behind the scenes. Overall, Mitchell’s talk provided invaluable context about the landscape of Italian soccer and helped prepare us for the upcoming trip to Italy later this semester.

Visit the to learn more about academic programs, career opportunities, and immersion trips in the Departments of Sport Management and Sport Analytics.

���ϲ����� established the in 1989, one year after the December 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that claimed the lives of all 270 people on board, including who were returning from a semester studying abroad. Each Remembrance Scholar is paired with a victim and is tasked with honoring that individual and keeping their memory alive.

Miriam Luby Wolfe

When Sutherland found out she was accepted, she was studying abroad in India.

“I looked at my email and just immediately started crying,” says Sutherland, a public health major from St. Louis, Missouri. “It was instant honor and gratitude, but then as soon as you’re happy and excited, the next feeling that comes in is that weight and that heaviness of what that means to officially be a Remembrance Scholar.”

The news was equally emotional for Hulme, a public health major from Saratoga, California, whose grandfather had worked as a Pan Am pilot.

“I was on the phone with tech support for a computer problem when I got the email that I was selected as a Remembrance Scholar and I was so emotional I had to tell tech support I’d call them back,” Hulme says.

Miriam Luby Wolfe’s mother, Rosemary, sent this heartfelt note to Remembrance Scholar Alyssa Sutherland.

Sutherland’s scholarship is in honor of , a student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts who had spent her semester in London interning at King’s Head Theatre and studying dance, dramatic literature, acting, voice and art history. Sutherland has connected through email with Miriam’s mother, Rosemary, who now lives in Hawaii. Rosemary sent Alyssa a copy of her book, “,” with a handwritten note, “For Alyssa, May life bring you many blessings. With love and Aloha! Rosemary.”

Hulme’s scholarship is in honor of , a student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. He was an actor and athlete who competed on the ���ϲ����� men’s lacrosse team. Tabitha learned about Turhan’s life by spending time in the and having conversations with his friends, and she discovered almost kismet connections.

“There were so many commonalities between my life and his that I never expected to experience,” Hulme says. “In high school, he did journalism, and he got a national award for the type of journalism he did. It ended up that my father had actually received that same award when he was in high school.”

Turhan Michael Ergin

Sutherland and Hulme both share a strong dedication to service and intend to keep Miriam’s and Turhan’s memories with them throughout their lives. At this year’s , the two shared the following remarks:

Sutherland: “I lay this rose in memory of Miriam Luby Wolfe. I am acting forward by being a leader on campus and beyond. I am using my skills to promote and teach cultural competency as well as the importance of inclusivity and interdependence in every community.”

Hulme: “I lay this rose in honor of Turhan Michael Ergin. When I think of the profound impact of Pan Am Flight 103, I am reminded of the quote, ‘Grief is love with no place to go.’ This flight–meant to bring together family members, friends, beliefs, stories, cultures, and, above all else, love–has changed my perspective on action. As a pre-medical student studying public health and health humanities, I plan to act forward by pursuing a career as a physician focused on patient equity and forever a dedication to service.”

The annual Pan Am Flight 103 memorial service will be held at 2:03 p.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 21, at Hendricks Chapel (that is the time of the incident over Lockerbie). The service will begin in the chapel’s Noble Room, with attendees then processing to the Place of Remembrance.

Learn more about the and to be a Remembrance Scholar.

Over the summer, sport management major Camila Malda ’25 (far left) interned with the Chicago Red Stars while sport analytics major Adelaide Gilley ’25 (far right) interned with the Houston Astros.

Adelaide Gilley, a senior in the Falk College’s program, already has an extensive resume of on-campus experiences. She is co-head of player performance for the ���ϲ����� men’s basketball team, vice president of membership for the Sport Management Club and co-chair of the club’s , to name a few. Now, she can add baseball operations intern for the to the growing list.

Adelaide Gilley

Gilley says a connection she made at a in Philadelphia that she attended through the Falk College last September helped her get the internship with the Astros for summer 2024. As a Houston native, Gilley says it was a dream come true to work for her hometown team.

Camila Malda, a senior in Falk’s , is originally from Mexico City, Mexico. She spent her summer as a corporate partnerships intern for the of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

Camila Malda

Her tasks included helping to organize and carry out the Red Stars’ Pride Night and a special game night at Chicago’s iconic Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. The Wrigley Field game set a record for the highest attendance at a NWSL match with 35,038 spectators.

Malda says a fellow Red Stars intern in ticket sales is also a Falk College student, reinforcing a lesson she has heard from her professors: “You’re going to end up working with or under someone from ���ϲ�����.”

We spoke with both Gilley and Malda while they were in the middle of their internships this summer. The below videos highlight their experiences working with professional sports organizations.