View previous class (2012)

Thomas Caughlin grew up in Chula Vista, California. He graduated from the University of San Diego with a double major in Communication Studies and Sociology. While attending USD, Thomas worked as an assistant manager for the Women’s Basketball team. He also spent three years as a sports producer for KUSI-TV San Diego and later served as Social Media Director of the station’s Emmy award winning “Prep Pigskin Report.”  Upon completion of the SDSU Sports MBA program, Thomas has a variety of aspirations including contract negotiation, sponsorships, and brand management.

Xia Chen is from Zhejiang, China. She studied Horticulture at Guangxi University, where she pursued sports interest in table tennis and swimming.  Upon completion of the Sports MBA program at SDSU, Xia will return to China to pursue a career working with NBA International in her home country or working with an organization in table tennis.

Benjamin Cooper was born and raised in San Jose, California. He graduated from the University of California, Davis, with degrees in Economics and Political Science.  While at UC Davis, Benjamin spent four years managing and overseeing sporting events as the Building Supervisor at the Activities and Recreation Center and Pavilion. His greatest interests lie in football and baseball, and upon completion of his MBA he hopes to pursue a career in player operations and administration for a professional sports team.

Erin DaSilva is originally from Toronto, Canada, and grew up in Fremont, CA.  She earned her undergraduate degree in Business Management from Biola University in La Mirada, CA. As an undergrad, she played for the Biola University Softball team. The passion she has for the sport drove her to coaching at La Habra High School as the Head Junior Varsity Coach, where she led the team to a 2nd place league finish. Upon graduation, she served as the accounts payable clerk and cashier manager at Orvac Electronics in Fullerton, CA. Upon graduation from the SDSU Sports MBA Program, Erin hopes to work in marketing and events within the sports industry.

Mallory Davis was born and raised in Monterey, CA.  She graduated cum laude from San Francisco State University with a degree in Broadcast Electronic Communications Arts and a concentration in sports broadcasting. During her undergrad work, she interned for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area as a newsroom intern. She also worked for the San Francisco Giants as a scoreboard intern during their 2010 World Series run. Her enduring passion for sports has led her to pursue an MBA in Sports Business Management. Mallory plans to have a career in sports media, preferably associated with Major League Baseball.

Johnny Du is a California native, splitting his childhood between his birthplace of San Jose and nearby Santa Clara. He earned a B.A. in Political Science from UCSD while minoring in Film Studies. He was also blessed with the chance to study abroad for a semester at the University of Melbourne in Australia. After graduating and prior to enrolling at SDSU, he remained at UCSD and worked for a research lab in the university's nationally recognized Department of Bioengineering. Johnny wishes to pursue a career related to the NHL and/or broadcast media.

Sean Elihu was born and raised in San Diego, CA.  He received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Comparative Literature from the University of California Davis.  During his time at UC Davis, Sean interned for two in-house production companies in Los Angeles.  Sean’s admiration for athletics combined with his passion for brand building has led him to pursue a Sports MBA.  Upon graduation from the program, Sean hopes to obtain a career in marketing.  

Ryan Flanagan was born and raised in Akron, OH.  He studied at The University of Dayton, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering.   Upon graduating from UD, he moved to Southern California to work for DRC Engineering, a civil engineering design firm.  During his time there, he was able to obtain his professional engineering license from the State of California.  Ryan’s passion for sports is what has led him to making the career switch into the sports industry and to the SDSU Sports Management MBA program.  Utilizing his professional background along with the skills learned from the MBA program, Ryan aspires to one day work in the front office for a Major League Baseball franchise.

Ezzard Gadson was born in Denver, CO. He graduated from Howard University with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Management. While attending Howard University, he worked for Breakthrough, a non-profit educational program. At Breakthrough, he held several positions; including Site Director and Special Events Coordinator. After graduation, he worked for Enterprise Rental Car and was a member of their Management Training Program. Ezzard is very interested in sports and entertainment management; however he is very open to discovering new passions. Upon the completion of the Sports MBA Program, he hopes to pursue a career in the NFL, NBA, or MLB.

Ryan Gardner was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  While there, he operated a successful home improvement company, and brings nine years of experience from that field.  Ryan has helped develop young student athletes through coaching high school basketball the last seven years.  A passionate fan of Wisconsin sports, he is interested in working with college athletics through an athletic department, ultimately as an athletic director.

Mallory Geis was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Communication and a minor in Business Law. While attending USC, Mallory interned for AEG in the sports sales and marketing department. She also interned as a production assistant for CBS Sports in Los Angeles. After graduating, she accepted a position with Teach For America and served two years as an elementary educator in Dallas, Texas. Upon graduation from the SDSU Sports MBA Program, Mallory hopes to pursue a career in finance or business operations for a professional sports team.

Itamar Hassin is from Haifa, Israel. After military service, he lived two years in Beijing, china, where he studied the local language and culture and gained short-term experience with the exporting business.  While doing a B.A in Asian culture and multidisciplinary studies with a major in Law and Sports, at Haifa University, Itamar worked as an assistant coach at a youth soccer team and as a Chinese translator. His passion for sports led him to pursue an MBA degree with a sports emphasis.  Itamar’s career goals are to learn from the U.S. sports model, to work with the local community while keeping his global curiosity and, eventually, to have a career in soccer management. 

Kellen Herrera is from North San Diego County and attended UCLA where he graduated with a degree in Chicana and Chicano Studies. While studying in Westwood, Kellen managed the sports department of UCLAradio.com, hosted live shows and broadcasted numerous sporting events. Upon graduation, Kellen coached the University of San Diego Toreros Club Baseball team. Most recently, he worked for Wells Fargo Bank as a Personal Banker. Kellen believes that his background in business and his multicultural perspective will be enhanced at SDSU. With the skills and experience received from the Sports MBA program, he will be primed to contribute to the success of an organization via community relations and player development.

Christian Jensen was born and raised in East Lyme, CT and graduated cum laude from Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI, with an Accounting degree, and minors in Finance and Political Science.  After graduating, Christian continued at Roger Williams working with their Finance and Payroll departments. During his time as an employee of the University, he helped with the fiscal year audit and processed faculty, staff and student payrolls. Upon graduation, Christian hopes to get involved with the front office of a professional sports team, with aspirations to become a CFO.

Danny Kohan was born and raised in Agoura Hills, California.  He graduated from the University of California San Diego with a degree in Communications.  Prior to enrolling at San Diego State, Danny interned at Fox Sports, writing and creating highlights for the television show “The Final Score.”  He also worked in the financial service industry and in the finance department of a medical supply company.  He hopes to apply the skills and knowledge gained from the program to a career in operations in professional sports, preferably the NBA.

Brandon Korody is originally from Canton, Michigan. He graduated from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor with a degree in Political Science, and later earned a degree in Psychology with a minor in Business from Eastern Michigan University. Prior to enrolling at SDSU, Brandon had an internship with the Michigan Bucks, a semi-professional soccer team, in which he assisted with a broad range of tasks including game day operations and ticket sales. He also assisted Eastern Michigan’s baseball team with their social media outlets. Upon completion of the Sports MBA program, Brandon hopes to work in the front office of a professional baseball or soccer franchise, though he is keeping his options open.

Junbo Lang is from Shenyang, China. He graduated from Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing with a bachelor’s degree in International Trade/Risk Management, including a study abroad program in Australia. Following graduation, Junbo worked for two years in banking and with an evaluation company in Beijing. His major sports interests are skiing and basketball, with emphasis on sports marketing and communications. Junbo’s goal after graduating from the SDSU Sports MBA program is to pursue a career working with the NBA or other sports organizations in China.  

Troy Le is originally from Vietnam, and grew up in West Covina, CA.  He graduated magna cum laude from California State Polytechnic University Pomona with a degree in Business Administration and emphasis in Marketing.  After graduation, Troy has gained several years of experience in real estate, sales and marketing. Upon completion of the Sports MBA program at San Diego State University, Troy would like to pursue a career in marketing for team sports, targeting football or basketball.

Sean Leahy grew up in Twentynine Palms, CA, and received a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management and Human Resources from Cal Poly Pomona. During his time at Cal Poly, Sean was an active member of the school’s athletic department for over three years, where he worked primarily in the sports information department.  Sean handled multiple roles including writing post-game analysis for home baseball games, announcing home baseball games, and scoring both home baseball and soccer games. Sean also had two internships in Minor League Baseball with the Inland Empire 66ers and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, working with the media and public relations departments of each team. After graduation, Sean hopes to work in media or player relations for an MLB franchise.

John Lutz was born and raised in Charleston, WV.  He attended West Virginia University, graduating with degrees in both Accounting and Public Relations.  After graduation, John moved to Washington, DC to work in public accounting as an auditor.  He spent over four years in the District, auditing non-profit organizations, and earning his CPA license.  John hopes to pursue a career in college athletics. 

Andrew Miller was born in San Antonio, Texas, and had the opportunity to live in many different states and overseas growing up in a military family.  He graduated from UC Santa Cruz, where he competed on the NCAA swim team received a B.A. in Business Management with a minor in Legal Studies.  After graduation, Andrew worked in sales and spent time as a Federal Park Ranger.  Andrew is particularly interested in college athletics, but is keeping himself open to all opportunities at SDSU.

Brett Nissinoff is a California native who earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of California at Los Angeles.  Brett has always had a passion for tennis, fitness, and living a healthy lifestyle.  She is a certified indoor cycling instructor, a youth tennis coach, and an active volunteer in many charitable organizations and sports related events.  Brett’s enthusiasm for sports and fitness has led her to pursue a Sports Management MBA.  Upon graduation, she looks forward to a career in sports event management.

Deepesh Patel was born and raised in the Bay Area. He obtained a degree in Business Administration from California State University, Sacramento. He has seven years experience of working in the hospitality Industry, where he held several managerial positions.  He has a strong passion for all sports, but his focus on basketball led him to attend SDSU Sports MBA program. He hopes to pursue a career in administration for a professional basketball organization.

Ben Pearson grew up in the Seattle/Tacoma area. He graduated from Gonzaga University with a degree in Broadcasting & Electronic Media Studies and earned minors in both Journalism and Sport Management. After graduation, Ben wrote for a sports blog called TheLeftCoastBias.com before moving on to broadcasting high school athletics for television and radio in the Seattle area. Ben is interested in a career as a liaison between the media and a sports organization or university, but comes to SDSU with an open mind about possible career opportunities within the sport industry.

Micah Porter was raised in the suburbs of Denver, CO.  While serving on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Accounting from Park University.  Micah managed the largest budget of any Marine Aircraft Wing and has been decorated for outstanding leadership, analytical acumen and professional capacity. He created efficiency improvements to three military financial procedures, and all changes were adopted and standardized by the entire Marine Corps. Micah believes that Southern California is the sports capital of the world, and he will pursue a career in sports media or public service to assist in bringing the best national and global sporting events to the region.  Micah lives in Del Mar with his wife, Kristin, and a Chihuahua named Chase.

Ramin Rezvani was born and raised in wine country near the San Francisco Bay Area. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and Media Studies from UC Santa Barbara. While at UCSB, Ramin produced several award winning short films and commercials. Additionally, he worked for the UCSB Athletics Department as a video communications intern, producing postgame and promotional material while expanding the school’s brand. Upon graduation, Ramin moved to Los Angeles and began working at the KCBS/KCAL 9 sports department. While at SDSU, he plans to work to develop and improve the brands of San Diego youth sports leagues and intern with a sports agency. Following the completion of his MBA, Ramin aims to work with an agency or in marketing for a professional franchise. 

Adam Rilott was born and raised in Rockford, IL.  He graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI with a B.S. in Finance and Marketing.  Over the last 2 years, Adam has been an active community member at Project Walk Spinal Cord Injury Recovery in Carlsbad, CA, familiarizing him with the San Diego area and leading him to the Sports MBA program at SDSU.  While at Marquette, Adam interned with the Milwaukee Brewers and after finishing the program, he intends to begin a career in the front office of a professional baseball organization.  Also, he hopes to be involved in programming that helps permanently injured athletes return to an active lifestyle. 

Zachary Stratton was born and raised in San Diego, California. He graduated from Clemson University with a degree in History with minors in Film Studies and Sociology. During his time at Clemson, Zachary wrote for the sports section of the school newspaper, The Tiger. After graduation Zachary has worked in the financial services sector. In his free time, he also helped on a NBA data gathering project and has consulted on sports themed web-sites. Upon graduation from the program, Zach intends to pursue a career in operations management in the sports industry on the professional level either in the U.S. or abroad.

Russell Tebeleff grew up in Columbia, MD where his passion for sports earned him a wrestling state championship.  He attended Virginia Tech and acted as president of the club wresting team while obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.  After college, Russell became Director of Sales for Student Travel Services, where he gained valuable sales, marketing and management experience.  He also volunteered as a high school wrestling coach, hoping to instill the love of the sport in young athletes.  Russell plans to pursue a career working in operations within intercollegiate athletics.

Noah Thistle grew up in Columbia, MD and earned his undergraduate degree in Marketing from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  After graduation, Noah interned with the Washington Freedom working with their marketing department.  His most recent position was with CarMax as a sales consultant.  Upon graduation from the SDSU Sports MBA Program, Noah hopes to pursue a career in the marketing department of an NFL team or in the motorsports industry.

Mike Warkentin grew up in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Lethbridge.  During his undergraduate studies he had the opportunity to complete extensive NHL Player Analysis, as well as being involved with several minor sports organizations within the community.  Since graduation Mike has been working as a Logistics Analyst and Quality System Technician in the Agricultural sector.  Upon completion of the Sports MBA Program at San Diego State University, Mike will pursue a career within the National Hockey League, or player representation.

Rosalie Waxman was born in Berkeley, California.  She graduated from Colby College with a double major in International Studies and Latin American Studies.  Since graduation, Rosalie has worked in experiential marketing, event planning, event execution, strategic branding and project management.  Upon graduation, Rosalie plans to utilize her MBA to continue her career in the action sports industry.