IRUC Clients Say They’d Do It Again

When the coronavirus sent University of Illinois students home and shut down internship opportunities, Dr. Mike Raycraft turned to a group that had been reliably supportive of RST students in the past—the department’s vast alumni network. Now working in key positions with a variety of recreation, sports, tourism, marketing, and nonprofit organizations, the alumni came through again and agreed to work remotely with students on challenges facing their companies. Some of them shared their thoughts on their experiences with Illini RST Undergraduate Consulting.

Tristan Nelson
Account Coordinator
Paragon Marketing Group

As an undergraduate student in RST, Tristan had completed his internship with Paragon under the guidance of fellow RST alumnus Matt Waitz. So when he got the call from Mike Raycraft, he jumped at the chance to help current students. Paragon’s clients include Gatorade, Propel, and Pepsi. He and Matt charged the IRUC teams with researching the ways clients could remain relevant within the current climate. Two teams focused on ways to continue product sampling activities safely, while a third focused on creative ways for professional sports leagues to provide value for their corporate partners.

“The experience was smooth, and the students were eager to learn,” he said. “Connecting with them via Zoom made it easy for everyone.”

If RST continues to offer the services of its students through IRUC, he said it’s “very likely” that he’d continue to take advantage of the opportunity to give back to students.

Thomas Siwek
Service Executive
Chicago Bulls

Without the connections he made as an undergraduate in RST, Thomas said, he wouldn’t be where he is today. He was inspired by his own experiences to give back to current students by giving them a sense of current problems facing the sports industry, as well as an opportunity to suggest solutions.

IRUC students were tasked with offering out-of-the-box ideas for connecting with fans and keeping them engaged. The students conducted a survey of Bulls fans, which gave the Bulls a good idea of fans’ opinions of returning to games during the pandemic. Thomas said the students did a phenomenal job.

“Some of the ideas the students came up with are current initiatives that we are working through, and we hope to implement others in the near future,” he said. He described the students as “awesome,” “professional,” and “on top of their game,” and said he’d love to work with IRUC again.

“It was great to provide students with a behind-the-scenes look at some of the obstacles the sports industry is facing in today’s world,” he said. “They provided us with some great ideas on how to capitalize during this time without direct contact with fans.”

Jamie Bronska
Coordinator of Community Relations
Chicago White Sox

When Jamie heard about IRUC, she thought it presented a meaningful way to form connections with students while they learned more about the professional sports landscape and how it has been impacted by the current environment. She asked students to determine creative ways to engage White Sox alumni who serve as team ambassadors with fans during the shortened MLB season. She was pleased with the results.

“The group did an excellent job of suggesting potential virtual opportunities for our former players to engage with fans that were meaningful, relevant, and innovative,” she said. “Their ideas included cooking lessons, trivia nights, baseball lessons, and tours of Guaranteed Rate Field.”

She described the overall experience as “incredibly positive” and said she’d be happy to work with the consulting group again, especially when a more traditional baseball season returns. “Their ideas were top-notch, and I would be intrigued to hear their perspectives on additional aspects of the organization,” she said.

Mark Thomas
Western Regional Director (retired)
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation

As the western regional director, Mark oversaw 10 state parks in western New York, including Niagara Falls State Park. Currently an adjunct instructor for the RST online master’s degree, he generously worked with the RST students all summer and put them in touch with the current marketing staff at Niagara Falls. Students were given a choice of three projects: a marketing study to identify ways to promote Niagara Falls State Park during both the COVID and post-COVID eras; an historical research project focused on the history of the park and how it impacts current visitor activity; and an exploration of available crowd counting options that took into account park-related limitations on measuring attendance.

Because the timeframe for completing the projects was shorter than a full-semester internship would allow, Mark said the students provided a unique perspective: that of a first-time visitor without an actual visit. “This was very beneficial to park management, as it provided feedback we rarely get from prospective visitors who are doing research to decide if Niagara Falls should be their vacation destination,” he said. “We have incorporated several of their ideas and are working on implementing others.”

The students were professional and prepared and offered very creative ideas, he said, as well as enthusiastic and fully engaged. And, he concluded, “We would absolutely welcome the opportunity to work with U of I students again.”

Brooke Buzard
Associate Director of Advancement
Cunningham Children’s Home

“One of the great assets of being in RST is becoming part of a network of alumni who are always happy to partner or engage with current students,” said Brooke, who completed both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in RST. She welcomed the opportunity to show the students there are opportunities for them in the non-profit sector, a career path many fail to consider.

Cunningham had two major fundraisers over the summer. She gave the lead on the Kendall Gill Golf Outing to the students, relying on them to stay abreast of changing COVID-related restrictions on sports venues and public gatherings and to develop creative ideas for offering an event experience similar to past events but adapted to the current environment. With the students focused on the golf outing, Brooke and her staff were able to focus on Cunningham’s main fundraiser.

“The RST consulting groups were instrumental in keeping our planning of the golf outing moving forward, and helped us prepare and develop different scenarios for event outcomes,” she said. “They were professional and committed, and we had a very positive experience working with each group.”