Alumnus job-shadows during Vikings vs. Packers matchup

 

Name: Myles Gorham

Year graduated: December 2012

Major: Sports Communication

Current status: In the hiring process

Fondest memory at UIU: Getting to play football in front of my entire family when the Peacocks traveled to Duluth to play the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2011.

Recent graduate Myles Gorham from Duluth, Minn., had the chance of a lifetime recently when he job shadowed the Director of Corporate Communications for the Minnesota Vikings football team, Jeff Anderson, during the Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers matchup December 30. The Vikings beat the Packers, 37-34, to earn a direct ticket to the NFC divisional playoffs, where they lost to the Packers.

This opportunity was made possible by UIU’s Assistant Dean of Students Daryl Grove. “I had the opportunity to work for the Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs as a marketing and public relations intern in addition to the Iowa Barnstormers and Iowa Cubs,” said Grove. “Jeff Anderson was an underclassman that met some of the Raiders players and personnel when I brought them back to our alma mater to speak.  Jeff openly says he owes his connection and career to attending that event and networking. Jeff has mentored several Upper Iowa University students.”

Myles, who was a sports communications major at UIU, said he made lasting connections with others in the field and will have an opportunity to complete an internship next football season.

“I arrived at the Metrodome three hours prior to kickoff, and Jeff showed me the facilities and the main press box,” he said. “During the game, I went around with the game day interns and helped hand out statistics after each quarter. After the game I sat in on the post-game interviews with players and helped record quotes for Adrian Peterson, Christian Ponder and head coach Leslie Frazier.”

Myles said this opportunity will go a long way to helping him realize his career goal of working for a team in the NFL either in the public relations sector or with player personnel.