Ray left his New Jersey hometown to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst after receiving a huge financial aid package his senior year of high school. He knew he wanted to go to a big state school with lots of school spirit and campus life, and loved the size and location of UMass Amherst. Now a third year sport management and communication double major, he couldn’t be more proud to call UMass his home. 

Ray chose his two majors because he liked how broad each one was -- he knew he could do whatever he wanted with either. He wanted to study business, but tailored to his interests, and believed that sports management fit well in his skill set, following a life-long interest in sports, 

Despite having a heavy course load this past school year, the extensive help from peers and teachers made Ray's work manageable. He realized, as he began to study topics he was more interested in with smaller class sizes, that the material was becoming increasingly relevant to his potential career paths. Ray likes his higher level, major-focused courses, largely due to collaborative classroom environments facilitated by his teachers. 

“I like being able to bounce ideas off of people. Being able to work well in a collaborative environment is very important post graduation” he said. 

Ray also applauded his teachers for being approachable and upfront in their expectations. “We knew what we were getting into in the first week, which is good especially considering add/drop.” 

The majority of entry-level job opportunities in sports management are in sales. Ray is not particularly interested in this as of right now, so he hopes to get a job in marketing or event coordination/promotion. Other jobs could include advertising, public relations, and social media coordination. He likes his majors for being general, as he can explore all aspects of the industry with the degrees he’s getting.

Outside of classes and studying, Ray spends his time playing basketball or lifting weights at the UMass Recreation Center. He also had an internship with UMass Athletics for two semesters as a community engagement assistant. Through his classes and in the residence halls, he’s made a ton of friends around campus that loves going to eat with and hang out in his spare time!