This summer, students from the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics discovered new avenues for professional preparation and practical hands-on experience. Lerner College students pursued an array of remote, in person or hybrid internships, externships and other professional development opportunities. From MBA scholars to undergraduates entering their second year at UD, students across a spectrum of Lerner programs shared their experiences accomplishing an assortment of projects.
Each profile of our “My Summer Internship” series will provide a glimpse into one of these unique experiences and how students applied knowledge from their studies to be successful in the real-world.
Ty Williams, class of 2025 sport management and marketing double major, spent his summer as a tournament operations intern for the Philadelphia PGA Section.
Lerner: How did you find out about this internship? Why did you pursue it?
Williams: I found out about it through Handshake in the winter of 2022. I had previous experience with golf operations, and I was looking to find a company that could be the liaison between courses and events which was the Philadelphia PGA.
Lerner: What was the most exciting task or project that you completed?
Williams: I had two instances of filling the role as a tournament director. In that position, I was able to call the shots and run the tournament as I led rules officials and made sure the head professionals of the golf course were all on the same page. I would then obviously make sure the tournament ran as efficiently as possible, and would be there to score, give awards, and create press releases for the event.
Lerner: What did you learn from the internship that you think you would not have learned elsewhere?
Williams: I gained a lot of confidence in my ability to learn on the fly and adapt to situations as they came. No two days were the same this summer and so every day you had to be ready and prepared for a new challenge or potential setback. One of the people on the staff actually had a saying: “I’ll never judge you by your best tournament, but I will judge you based on how you handle your worst tournament.”
Lerner: What is an example of a time where you were able to apply what you’ve learned at Lerner to your role?
Williams: Excel is huge for any business you’re a part of, so I certainly utilized that for a lot for things relating to our master roster.
Lerner: Did you face any challenges during your internship? If so, what was the issue and how did you overcome it?
Williams: Yes, plenty. Every day had its own new challenges whether it was parents or golfers getting involved in a discrepancy, or having to deal with inclement weather, or virtually anything else. You have to roll with the punches as the day goes on. Make sure you act in the best interest of the golfers and at the end of the day go with what your gut tells you.
Lerner: What are your career plans, and how do you think the internship will push you closer to your professional goals?
Williams: I want to soon get into more corporate partnerships or sponsorship work between firms and sport entities. I think marketing through sport is an extremely interesting and newer outlet for sport managers to succeed.