In 2021, Emily Vanhooser became one of the first sport management graduates in UMSL history. Since then, she’s earned a master’s degree in sport management and launched a successful career in the sport industry. (Photos courtesy of Emily Vanhooser)

After graduating high school, Emily Vanhooser was lost.

Vanhooser was an avid athlete growing up in O’Fallon, Missouri. She played basketball and softball throughout her youth and went on to compete at the collegiate level for Jefferson College and St. Charles Community College.

Sports were Vanhooser’s passion, but she wasn’t sure what her future held once her playing days were finished. At the time, she wasn’t aware that her passion and her experience on the field could translate into a viable career.

“I remember the day I sat on the couch at my parents’ house, and I Googled, ‘How to work in sports,’” she recalled. “Sport management came up.”

The stars aligned shortly thereafter during an advising meeting at the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 2019. Academic Advisor ShaQuina White informed Vanhooser that the College of Education would be adding a BS in sport management to its degree offerings during the spring 2020 semester.

Vanhooser could hardly believe what she was hearing.

“I was just shocked, and then after the fact, so excited that the opportunity was going to be there,” she said.

Vanhooser took full advantage of that opportunity and her time at UMSL. Through the sport management program, she gained valuable real-world experience by interning with the O’Fallon Hoots minor league baseball team and Morgan’s Camp, a nonprofit camp in San Antonio, Texas, aimed at giving people with physical and developmental disabilities an accessible summer camp experience. She was also a member of the Delta Zeta sorority and the National Society of Leadership and Success.

In 2021, Vanhooser crossed the commencement stage among the first sport management graduates in UMSL history. Since then, she’s earned a master’s degree in sport management at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio and launched a successful career, including positions with San Antonio Sports and Special Olympics Texas.

“I love that as a bragging point – the first class to go through the UMSL sport management program,” she said. “I think [the program] is allowing more opportunities for student-athletes and people like me who grew up with sports their whole life. You’re like, ‘This is what I’m passionate about,’ but now here’s an opportunity to do it for your career, too. It’s kind of a full-circle moment.”

Vanhooser didn’t do it alone, though. She credits her mentor Karen Boleska, director of UMSL’s sport management program, for advancing her academic and professional development.

“Emily always stood out as a dedicated and passionate student,” Boleska said. “Her enthusiasm for learning and her drive to excel were evident from the very beginning. She engaged deeply with her peers and faculty, fostering a collaborative environment that inspired everyone around her.”

As an alum, Vanhooser traveled with the sport management program to Glendale, Arizona, to volunteer at Super Bowl LVII. She and 13 students worked on the upper concourse level of State Farm Stadium, helping fans find their way to their seats and stadium amenities and answering questions.

Since the program’s inception, Boleska has emphasized interpersonal communication skills, hands-on experience via internships and industry networking through the program’s guest speakers, LinkedIn and webinars. The latter put Vanhooser on the path toward her future.

Boleska, who earned a master’s degree in sport management and a PhD in organizational leadership from Incarnate Word, brought in Will Biba, a former classmate, as a guest speaker. Biba was serving as the program director at Morgan’s Camp, and he spoke to Vanhooser’s class about the intricacies of the operation. He was also looking for students interested in a paid, three-month summer internship.

The opportunity piqued Vanhooser’s interest. The chance to work with individuals with disabilities appealed to her, as she wanted to explore unique avenues in the sport industry. Plus, the internship stipend came with free room and board.

Within a few months, Vanhooser had earned her bachelor’s degree and was headed to Texas for three months. It would be the longest she’d ever been away from her family, which was challenging but also exciting.

“It was my first time on an airplane,” she said. “I feel like St. Louis people drive everywhere – we just get in the car and drive to Florida. I never flew, so that was kind of a fun experience to get on an airplane.”

Little did she know that her first flight would lead to graduate school and a full-time career in Texas.

Morgan’s Camp is designed to give an exciting summer camp experience to everyone regardless of their needs. The sprawling facility includes amenities such as archery, cabins, horseback riding, pools, ropes courses and zip lines. During the summer, various programs and camps are offered for individuals with disabilities who come to Morgan’s Camp for a week to take part in a full slate of activities.

As part of the facilities staff, Vanhooser kept all facets of camp running smoothly. She and her colleagues were also certified as instructors for activities such as the ropes courses and helped campers make their way through the obstacles.

“The ropes courses are 25 feet up in the air,” she said. “It is scary, and most of our campers have never done anything like that. Seeing them fight their fears to go across the bridge at the ropes course, or going on the zip line that goes 300 feet in the air, was really neat. We would also get to do bonfires with them and get to know the campers better. It was always sad at the end of the week when the campers left.”

Vanhooser intended to move back to St. Louis after the internship, but things didn’t quite go according to plan. Boleska visited Biba and Vanhooser in San Antonio that summer, and she also happened to speak with some of her former professors at Incarnate Word, who were looking for more graduate assistants.

Before she knew it, Vanhooser was enrolled in a master’s program just two weeks before classes started. The next year was a whirlwind as Vanhooser juggled school and positions as a graduate assistant at Incarnate Word, a program instructor at Morgan’s Camp and a part-time events intern with San Antonio Sports.

“I had many different caps throughout the day,” she said. “I was changing outfits, going from one place to another, but it was kind of fun. I was learning so much in every single role. One day, I’m working with people with disabilities, and then the next day I’m going to school and running an intramural program.”

Vanhooser worked as an intern with San Antonio Sports, a nonprofit dedicated to making change in the community through the power of sport, for about six months. She put on events such as an all-star football game and a corporate cup competition. Toward the end of that stint, she took on a second part-time role as a site facilitator for the organization’s free summer fitness program, FitFamily Challenge.

In June 2022, a full-time position at SAS opened, and Vanhooser stepped into it seamlessly. As the youth programs manager, she oversaw Fit Family Challenge and i play!, an afterschool youth sports program. The work entailed meticulous planning and resource management.

During a typical summer day, Vanhooser would go from managing fitness instructors to hammering out the details of an upcoming 5k race – the route, race packets, water stations and more. When school was in session, she was often focused on the i play! program, developing coaching curriculum for four sports and marshaling equipment – for student uniform bundles – shoes, socks, T-shirts, shorts and a backpack.

About a year ago, Vanhooser moved from SAS to Special Olympics Texas. The opportunity came up during a community event, Fiesta FitFest, that the organizations partnered to throw. Working largely behind the scenes with SAS was valuable experience, but Vanhooser missed the one-on-one connections she was able to develop at Morgan’s Camp.

“I was missing that fulfillment piece of my own bucket,” she said. “So, I think that’s where Special Olympics came in.”

As a Unified Champion Schools specialist, she works on the implementation of the Unified Champion Schools program across 50 K-12 schools in San Antonio and Corpus Christi. The program pairs individuals with disabilities and those without to participate in sports and extracurricular activities. This is accomplished through initiatives such as unified PE classes and unified school clubs, which foster youth leadership and understanding.

Vanhooser has also worked to bring the organization’s Implemented University Scholastic League, unified sports events and competitions, to four high schools. When she watches the athletes compete together, particularly during track relay races, the spectacle gives her goosebumps.

“I think the parents of the athletes really are like, ‘Wow, they wouldn’t have had this opportunity if it wasn’t for Unified,’” she said. “The emotions just take over. That’s probably one of my favorite parts: seeing our work in the schools come to life when teachers, coaches and everyone come together to support the athletes and partners.”

At one point, Vanhooser might have been lost, but now she’s found fulfillment and meaning in her work bringing communities together through sport.