Getting to Know You: Haley Yamane
Haley Yamane — Sport Management undergraduate student
Q&A
Why did you stay in the sport management program?
I have not doubted by decision to remain in the sport management program at all. I instantly found a connection with the teachers. I haven’t had a teacher I haven’t learned a lot from. I actually enjoy going to class each day. I have never dreaded going to class every day because I knew I was going learn something new about something I was already interested in and passionate about.
What are you doing for an internship right now?
I am an intern for WSU Athletic Marketing and Promotions and so part of that means contacting people for national anthem, halftime promotions and giveaways. It’s kind of a more fun and interactive developments of the game. Right now I am working with LED graphics for football. This requires showing up early for the game to get set up. I work with IMG a little bit to make sure sponsors get their content shown the proper amount. I also work with swim this year to make sure that their entertainment segments are set up.
Without naming other sport management programs, why do you feel that this program exceeds where other program’s aren’t?
I feel like this program is very special because the professors have a very close knit relationship with the students. They’re not just here to teach us all of this content to see us sink or swim–they really want us to succeed and they have voiced that a lot throughout the four years that I have been here. They are always looking for different internships, job opportunities, and different applications for us to fill out. They do a really good job with pushing those at us. They are always telling us that they are willing to help outside of the classroom in any way that they can, to not forget about them when we leave and that they will always be there to help us in any way that they can.
What is your favorite thing about the sport management program?
My favorite thing about the sport management program is that we are really challenged in every class. We are pushed to a lot of deadlines with a lot of content. It is not a traditional classroom setting where you get a lot of homework, tests and exams. We do that but we are also expected to do a lot of group work and group assignments. Everything is very collaborative and creative and we have to really have to expand your thinking about how sport influences cultures, society and the world.
How have the scholarships you have received helped you succeed?
I appreciate the scholarships that I have received because without them I don’t know that I would be here right now. They have helped me come to college with a lesser amount of debt and a lot less stress. When I received that scholarship it made me feel like my education wasn’t just about me anymore–it was about my high school teachers, my parents, my family, my coaches that were there and supported me before college. For those people that invested time and energy toward me, this education that I would be getting represented them too. It has put a greater value on my experience here—it made me not want to waste bunch of time and take my education lightly because I knew that I was given this with the expectation to perform above and beyond.