What’s life like for a recent grad? 

By Gabriella Grondalski and Grace Keller

Ciara Lockwood recently graduated from UMass Amherst this past May with a dual degree in Sport Management and Communication. During her time at UMass, she was very active on campus and held many amazing leadership positions. Her involvement on campus first began her freshman year, where she was a student manager to the Men’s Basketball team. Over the span of her four years while in this position, she assisted the coaching staff with a range of tasks from preparing for home/away games and assisting during practices. As she went into her Sophomore and Junior year, she became a Residential Assistant and assisted in ensuring her UMass residents had the best on-campus experience possible. During her Senior year, Ciara continued to be involved and became a Peer Advisor for the Communication Department and also became a Front Desk Assistant in Isenberg. 

While being involved on campus, Ciara also held multiple intern positions over her four years, the most recent being with the New York Mets. During the summer of 2019, Ciara was a Premium Service Specialist and assisted in many tasks including working alongside premium seating managers and managing relations for the Mets highest paying clientele. This internship led to a job offer, and she accepted a position as an Inside Sales Representative, with the plan of beginning her professional career with the New York Mets after graduating.

Due to COVID, the start of her work life has changed. Ciara had originally planned to move to New York and begin her career with the Mets in June, but as a result of the pandemic, her plans are on hold until January. Though she may not be in New York City, Ciara and the other incoming hires have a monthly meeting with their Mets bosses to ensure they are up to date with any changes or news they need to be informed about. “While this was not what I expected, and I feel as if I am stuck in limbo waiting for everything to start up again,” said Ciara, “the extra time I have had with my family and friends has been a blessing.” While Ciara’s time at the Mets has not started yet, she is excited for the new year to start her career in the sports industry!