#PointParkWorks: SAEM Major Lands Co-op With the Pittsburgh Steelers

Meet Madison Winger

Job Title & Employer: Guest Services Co-op, Pittsburgh Steelers
Major/Program: Sports, Arts & Entertainment Management
Graduation: August 2020
College Activities: SAEM Club sports coordinator and Point Park Student Sales Team representative
Scholarships: Vice Presidential
Hometown: Oil City, Pa.
High School: Oil City High School
Now Living In: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Dream Job: To work at Madison Square Garden
Hobbies & Interests: Foodie, traveling and sports

"We selected Madison based on her related experience, drive to learn more about stadium operations and her positive, can-do attitude. Her work ethic stood out to us during the 2018 season when she joined our event day guest services team. Madison’s ability to manage her time during the week as we prepare for game days has been impressive. She continues to be an asset to the guest experience department and to the stadium operations team at large."

Mary Malanos, manager of guest experience and tours, Heinz Field/PSSI Stadium LLC

"Not only do the Point Park faculty advise students to get involved, many of them have worked in the industry and use their connections to help students succeed. I am so thankful for the decision I made three years ago to attend this University."

Madison Winger

How did you land a co-op position with The Pittsburgh Steelers?

I landed this co-op position through the previous network connections I had at Heinz Field. I worked at Heinz Field as a guest services representative for the 2018-2019 football season. The connections I gained that season with my bosses, Mary Malonos and Travis Baker, benefited me greatly when applying for the guest services fall co-op position. This season I was chosen to fill this role in the guest services department due to the prior knowledge and experience I had working at Heinz Field.

Tell us about the work you are doing for this co-op.

As a guest services intern/co-op, I am responsible for preparing our department for game days. This includes replenishing documents in our service rooms, preparing game day event sheets and charging communication technology used for game days.

I also assist in the hiring, training and onboarding process of our guest service team members. It is important for me to know the policies and procedures of the stadium because my primary responsibility is to make sure that information is communicated with our fans in the proper way so that they have a fun and enjoyable time at Heinz Field.

Why did you choose Point Park University?

I chose Point Park University because of the sports, arts and entertainment management major and the location of the school.

The Rowland School of Business and SAEM department really focus on real-world experience. Their main mission is to get students to be active in the industries they want to pursue as careers. My focus has always been in the sports industry and being surrounded by Pittsburgh professional sports teams has presented me with many opportunities to get involved.

Not only do the Point Park faculty advise students to get involved, many of them have worked in the industry and use their connections to help students succeed. I am so thankful for the decision I made three years ago to attend this University.

What have been your favorite Point Park experiences so far?

Apart from this co-op opportunity with the Steelers, I have been able to take part in many sports-related experiences here at Point Park. One of my favorite things I was involved in were the student sales team programs organized by Professor Derda.

Our sales team of students partnered with professional sports teams to sell tickets for select games. So far, we have teamed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Penguins. I have learned about the sales process and have been able to put it to practice in these situations. I believe the skills I have learned through these experiences will be very beneficial in my future career and will help separate me from other candidates.

What are your career goals?

My upcoming goals are to graduate and obtain a career in either professional or collegiate sports. My three areas of interest are ticket sales, guest services and operations. I plan on becoming very knowledgeable in the career field I choose to pursue and will work my way up in status in the organization. Also, I want to live in a big city and be very successful.

#PointParkWorks: SAEM Major Lands Co-op With the Pittsburgh Steelers Student Profile