Gardner-Webb Graduate Student Works with New York Mets for the Summer

Victoria Fischetti, Also a 2023 Alumna, Uses Skills Learned in Marketing and Communication Studies

While searching for a summer internship, Victoria Fischetti, a May 2023 graduate of Gardner-Webb University, hadn’t thought about using Tik Tok. On the team bus back to campus after a lacrosse game, she was passing the time by scrolling through the social media app. “A video came up listing all the different websites where you could find a job in sports,” Fischetti described. “So, I started looking through the websites and on TeamWorkOnline.com, I saw the posting and filled out my application right away.”

Fischetti is from Long Island, N.Y., and was hired as a summer intern with the New York Mets (NYM). “I worked on game days doing on-site promotional and membership work with the Mr. and Mrs. Mets Kids Club,” she explained. “Kids Club was a big focus for me, as I worked with all of our exclusive members at each game to give them their monthly items, sell new memberships to new additions, as well as attend the post-game dash, where the kids run the bases. Interacting with fans and being able to enhance the gameday experience was so much fun!”

She also helped to launch the NYM Teen Club and assisted with surveying fans on improving the overall game day experience. She was part of the street team for the marketing department. They sent her to college campuses in New York City and Queens to promote the Mets’ discounts for college students.

One of her most memorable jobs was having the honor to serve as an escort for the Hall of Fame inductees and their families. “It was an amazing experience to take on this role on a very important day for the New York Mets,” Fischetti stated.

Fischetti also valued the relationships she made with the people on the NYM marketing team. They encouraged her and wanted to help her succeed. “I learned so much from the internship, but I think the biggest takeaway was that the people around you are just as important as the job itself,” she affirmed. “I came across so many people this summer with the NYM and just having one conversation with someone can go a long way in the future. My bosses instilled in us that talking and introducing yourself to anyone you can is the most valuable thing you could do.”

Fischetti earned her degree in communication studies and also took marketing classes at Gardner-Webb. The marketing classes gave her confidence and knowledge to contribute ideas during staff conversations on enhancing the fan experience. “A lot of the work I did this summer was target marketing to certain groups, which was a big lesson in my marketing classes at GW,” she observed. “My communication classes helped me so much with the confidence to talk to tons of people and strangers every day. In the communication department, you are immersed with constant groupwork or full-class discussions, which helped me so much in working with others this summer.”

Eligible to play lacrosse at Gardner-Webb for one more year, Fischetti is pursuing her Master of Sports Management (MSM). “Having the opportunity to get my MSM in only 10 months was a big draw for me to get my masters here at Gardner-Webb,” she asserted. “Also, this Mets internship played a role in why I knew the sports management master’s was the route for me. I looked forward to each day I went to CitiField for work. Sports has been in my life since I was a young girl; it’s a big passion of mine. Even though my Master of Sports Management is just beginning, I am so excited for the completion of it and applying all I will learn to my future career in sports.”

For students who are looking for internships, Fischetti’s advice is to apply to any position that interests them. “You never know what could happen, and if you didn’t apply then you might’ve missed an opportunity of a lifetime,” she offered. “One application or one conversation could open so many doors for you. I saw it first-hand myself. When I originally applied to the Mets internship, I thought I was a little fish entering a big pond. I would never have thought after applying that I would be considered. I am so grateful I did, because my internship was amazing!”

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.