For students who want to turn an interest in sports into a career, knowing where they fit in the industry can be part of the challenge.
At Michigan State University, the Association for Women in Sports Media helps students explore those possibilities before graduation. Open to students of all genders and majors, AWSM at MSU provides opportunities to learn from professionals, connect with alumni and gain experience while discovering the range of careers available across the sports industry.
Those efforts have also earned national recognition. For 2025-26, MSU's chapter received an honorable mention for AWSM's Student Chapter of the Year, recognizing it as one of the top student chapters in the nation. The honor adds to the chapter's previous Student Chapter of the Year awards in 2015-16 and 2021-22.
For members, the opportunities extend beyond campus and, in many cases, beyond graduation. Recent graduates Olivia Austin and Courtney Kautz are now beginning careers in professional sports. Austin works in social media and vertical video content for IndyCar, while Kautz is spending the 2026 NFL season working in suites and premium hospitality for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Their paths reflect two of the many directions students can explore through AWSM at MSU.
Exploring careers before graduation
For current members, exposure to different areas of the sports industry can help them discover opportunities they may not have previously considered.
Senior Olivia Stanger, the chapter's outreach chair, found an opportunity with MSU Athletic Communications after it was shared in the chapter's group chat. After working several games, she began considering athletic communications as a potential career path.
Senior Nora Cunningham, the chapter's president, came to MSU knowing she wanted to work in sports but said AWSM helped her see possibilities beyond the on-air and broadcasting positions she was most familiar with.
Through AWSM, students hear from professionals working in journalism, broadcasting, public relations, photography and other areas of sports. Members also share internships and other opportunities with one another as they gain experience and explore where their interests might lead.
This summer, four members took that professional exposure a step further when they traveled to Los Angeles for AWSM's national conference. There, they connected with professionals at different stages of their careers, including former MSU AWSM members now working in the industry.
The chapter has also created a LinkedIn group to help current and former members stay connected, extending those professional relationships beyond their time at MSU.
Relationships that continue after graduation
For Austin, those relationships have remained important as she begins her career.
Austin joined AWSM as a first-year student and later served as social media chair and 2025-26 president. Now at IndyCar, she helps create social media and vertical video content, from planning and scheduling posts to capturing content at races.
She remains in contact with graduates and current members and hopes to be a resource for younger students, just as older members were for her. Austin also sees the relationships students build with their peers as an important part of that network.
"You never know where those people are going to end up," Austin said. "Five or 10 years down the line, they're going to remember you, and you're going to remember them."
Kautz, an AWSM member from 2022 to 2025, served as outreach chair and later co-president. She is now the suites and premium hospitality intern for the Cincinnati Bengals, a full-time seasonal position for the 2026 NFL season.
Her role gives her experience working with suite partners while also providing opportunities to learn from areas including community relations and corporate partnerships.
Kautz said AWSM's guest speakers helped prepare her by exposing her to different careers and giving students a setting where they could ask professionals questions without the pressure of a formal networking environment.
Some of the relationships she values most, however, are with the students who were exploring those careers alongside her. She still talks daily with several former AWSM members who are navigating their own post-graduation experiences in sports.
For Kautz, not knowing exactly where you want to end up is part of the value of exploring different possibilities while still in college.
"I think having exposure to multiple perspectives is crucial, especially since I'm still figuring out exactly what I want to do too," Kautz said.
For students interested in working in sports, AWSM offers a place to explore those possibilities while building connections with people who share their interests. And as alumni like Austin and Kautz begin careers of their own, current members have a growing network of Spartans to learn from along the way.