Kristen Roberts, a communications major with a concentration in digital media, just completed her junior year at SFC. She is spending her summer behind-the-scenes at concerts and live sports events. But it's not just fun and games.

Kristen is a full-time intern at BSE Global, the company that oversees big events venues like the Barclays Center as well as sports franchises including the Brooklyn Nets. She landed the gig with the help of SFC Innovate, the College's new hub in Brooklyn's Industry City that, among its other functions, connects students with internship opportunities at the innovative, creative businesses that maintain offices there.

Kristen shared her thoughts on the path to getting her first internship and why this role is perfect for her.

You started working at BSE Global on June 3^rd. How's it going?

I am a communications intern...My department works specifically with the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center. I work most of the events at Barclays making sure the media is all in the right place. I have been doing a variety of things ranging from research, organizing the summer events, and even drafting up press releases. I love it so far!

What role did SFC Innovate play in your landing this internship?

Antonevia [Ocho-Coultes, who leads] SFC Innovate hooked me up with [BSE Global]. They're both in Industry City. The Innovate program was a huge help.

It all started because Lauren Bertolotti [the Academic Advisor in Communications Arts] sent out an email that said that the Barclays Center was looking for interns, and to apply to email your resume to the SFC Innovate team, so I did that. Then Antonevia set up a phone call, prepping me for the interview. Talking to her was really good prep because I had never done an interview before that wasn't just practicing with my friends.

I had two interviews with BSE a few weeks apart. They called me back three hours after the second interview. They said "okay, we want you to be our intern." And I was ecstatic. Antonevia was just as excited as I was.

Why is this internship right for you?

I always wanted to do something with sports... I played sports growing up and it's always been something I loved and was passionate about. I always wanted to go into broadcasting, too. Like [becoming] a sideline reporter.

But what I like about BSE is that...I'm not limited to sports. It's also entertainment...I was always a little bit scared that if I got a job first thing out of college in sports, it would make me hate sports.

But I like that I'll be dipping my toes into everything. I always was very interested in public relations. I took public relations with Michelle Steven, [a Communications Arts Lecturer] who was amazing...Public relations is always something I saw myself doing.

How had you searched for internships in the past?

The Career Center definitely helped me out with my resume, and I was doing a ton of research on my own about all [sorts of] different internships and applying anywhere. The Career Center...pushed me in the right direction.

What frustrated me about [applying for internships] was a lot of [places] were looking for people with experience. I'm like, well I need my first one to get experience... But my mom always says, you apply for 15 you only [need to] hear back from one...you just need the one to believe in you.

Any second thoughts about interning full-time this summer? You won't be able to go to the beach much.

I had to take into consideration that my friends are going to be...doing all this fun stuff [this summer]. But I'm willing to miss out on that to have the right steps towards my future.