Blugold marketing grad finds her niche in sports

Editor’s note: This is one in a series of stories profiling Bugolds graduating in December.

Hannah Hoffmann grew up playing sports, watching college and professional sports on TV. She routinely traveled the more than two hours from her home in Starbuck, Minnesota, to watch the Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves and Lynx play in the Twin Cities.

It’s not surprising that this super fan will graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Dec. 16 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and her eye on a job in professional sports.

“I have always loved the atmosphere and the energy of sports and being able to impact other people’s lives is something I’m passionate about,” Hoffmann says.

During her time at UW-Eau Claire, Hoffman has had baseball jobs as an usher for the major league Minnesota Twins and as a game-day intern for the minor league St. Paul Saints.

“I have learned what a good representation of a strong company culture looks like for both organizations,” Hoffmann says of her Twins and Saints experiences. “I also learned how to be a leader. There are many situations in which you have to take initiative throughout a ball game, and learning how to be adaptable has benefited me greatly.”

Hoffmann had her first exposure to marketing through a high school course, where she discovered she loved the variety of fields and the creativity involved in marketing and the many ways to exercise her creativity.

At UW-Eau Claire, Hoffmann attended two sports symposiums hosted by the College of Business, where she was able to interact with Blugolds who work in the sports industry.

“I really appreciated hearing from UWEC alumni on their journey throughout their careers in sports,” Hoffmann says. “It shows a lot about their determination within the industry. It shows that all you need is a good foundation that believes in you to chase your dreams. Yourself, the professors and learning experiences here are your foundation.”

Hoffmann says she was “strongly influenced” to attend UW-Eau Claire by the campus’ beauty and the experience her older sister had as a College of Business graduate.

“We have some of the most caring professors that want to see you succeed,” Hoffmann says. “They go above and beyond and provide you with awesome opportunities within the classroom. If you ever have a question about advice in terms of a job, life or school, they are all willing to sit down and help you.”

Jennine Fox, a lecturer in marketing and supply chain management, calls Hoffmann a hard worker who is driven to achieve her goals.

“Hannah has already started down the path in sports marketing with her prior internships and is continuing her journey in the field with her newest role that will continue post-graduation,” Fox says. “Based on the initiative she has already shown, I feel that her future in sports marketing is bright.”

After graduation, Hoffmann will continue her marketing assistant internship with the Minnesota Timberwolves to expand her sports background, representing the professional basketball team at career fairs in the Twin Cities. The season-long internship focuses on the promotional side of sports marketing as she will be in charge of setting up, executing and tearing down promotional events during Timberwolves home games.

Hoffmann is considering interning with another professional sports team before taking a full-time job in a pro sports team’s marketing or ticketing department.