Sports Information & Academic Support Specialist Melanie Schaefer explains her journey on becoming a support system for student athletes here at ECC. 

Q: How long have you been here at ECC? 

A: “Just over four years. I started in late July of 2021.” 

Q: Can you tell me your experience at University of Wisconsin Whitewater? 

A: “I chose to go to Whitewater because they had the major and minor I wanted to do. I majored in journalism with an emphasis in broadcast, print and web, and then I minored in sport management. I had a great experience swimming my freshman year, but unfortunately, I had to have a career ending shoulder surgery that summer after but in that meantime, I discovered my school’s sports information director.” 

Q: Can you tell me your experience being a marketing intern for the Madison Mallards baseball team? 

A: “That job was really fun. The Mallards were a team that my family and I went to games of theirs like growing up as kids so they’re in the Northwoods league. Basically, it’s a collegiate wooded bat program where you get college student athletes from all over the country that come and compete, because it’s a very prestigious league. As a marketing intern, we were in charge of game day promotional items, which included talking to guests, getting them to sign up for raffles, and then also in between innings we would play games with kids.” 

Q: What inspired you to become a sports information & academic support specialist? 

A: “I figured out that I wanted to go into sports information my sophomore year of college after working for my school’s sports information director. What I always loved about it is that I felt like it perfectly married my journalism in sports, which was what I wanted to do with it, and it was absolutely perfect for my interests and everything. 

Q: What is the best part about your job? 

A: The best part about my job is students that have either graduated or transferred them coming back and saying thank you. I help them succeed at anything like that. On a daily basis, I love the students that come in that just want to come in and hang out. I let the students decorate my office because I want this to be a safe space for them and to be comfortable. It’s really just the interactions with the student athletes that make me the happiest in my role. 

Q: Do you have any high expectations for all sports teams this year? 

A: I would say the expectations are higher. I think everyone is going to be better this year, from who they brought in, recruit wise. I’m excited to see how we do this year. I think it’ll be one of the best years yet since I’ve been here. 

Q: What is your advice for students who want to pursue an athletic administration major? 

A: My biggest advice is talking to professors making those relationships.