On Thursday, November 6th, the College of Science & Health, along with the Career Development Center and Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy, collaborated to host SHINE: Science and Health Industries Network for Excellence: Building Community Through Sports.
The panel featured four guest speakers, all of whom are in the sports industry and all graduates of William Paterson University. The panel included Dr. Anthony Manzella, a physical therapist at Franklin Lakes Sport and Spine; Dr. Jessica Lobosco, an athletic trainer, strength and conditioning specialist, and sports medicine educator; Dan Halewicz, the chief finance and administration officer for New Heights Youth Inc., and Kimberly Peña, the coordinator of community impact at Hornets Sports and Entertainment.
The event started with Dr. Sharma, the Dean of the College of Science and Health, speaking about the event. He talked about sports bringing people from all over and all different backgrounds together and discussed the brand-new Recreation and Health Sciences Center, planned to be completed in the Spring of 2027. He spoke highly of this groundbreaking project, stating that the advancements in the new center will allow students and student-athletes to prosper.
Regarding community, the speakers emphasized the importance of building relationships within a community, both for sports organizations and individuals. By building these relationships, trust is established between the community and an organization or individual. They also talked about how certain partnerships can strengthen a community, where Dan Halewicz specifically, emphasized the importance of volunteer work within a community or organization. He even mentioned that it was his own volunteer efforts that landed him his current job.
In addition to offering advice on building community through sports, the panel speakers provided the students in the audience with general career guidance. One of the overall messages here was that you never know where you may end up. The career path is not a straight one, but you’ll end up where you need to be. To set yourself up on the right path, the speakers emphasized that gaining experience in any way possible is highly beneficial.
Additionally, networking is a crucial tool on the path to success. One message in particular that made a significant impact was a few statements from Dr. Jessica Lobosco. She spoke about “getting comfortable with being uncomfortable” and “turning your weaknesses into strengths”.
The event ended with provided snacks and a networking opportunity for the students who wished to speak one-on-one with the professionals.
