Internship Spotlight: Aryn Gallacher

Aryn Gallacher, a senior majoring in Public Relations with a certificate in Sports Communication, completed an internship with the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL) during Summer 2023.

The USPBL is a professional baseball organization that would host games 10 minutes from Gallacher’s house as she grew up. “When I decided to go into the sports industry, the USPBL was one of the first organizations I thought of,” Gallacher said when asked about how she got her internship. In Winter 2022, she researched their organization and applied for their free internship program the following summer. She was offered the job of being an in-game producer the next season, to which she was accepted.

Gallacher was assigned the tasks of devising the game day rundowns and scripts for all 70+ games of the season, running the audio for the ballpark, and directing the interns through their game day responsibilities and priorities. One of the most significant things that Gallacher achieved during her time at the USPBL was planning a game, “Almost everything that happened in between the actual game of baseball, I controlled. Any on-field fan engagement or sing-along activities I directed. I felt my role as In-Game Producer was crucial for an entertaining evening of baseball,” she stated.

During Gallacher’s internship, she learned the valuable lesson of being able to work on her toes. As the In-Game Producer, curve balls were thrown on a daily basis teaching Gallacher the importance of adapting quickly.

After completing her internship, Gallacher felt she gained many valuable experiences working for the USPBL, “I have always been an avid believer that you won’t fully learn something until you get hands-on experience.” This internship affirmed her belief in the importance of hands-on learning in addition to time spent in the classroom. Gallacher was also able to reflect on her unique decision of accepting an unpaid internship, “I would not have been able to become an In-Game Producer had I not spent a summer dedicating numerous unpaid hours at the ballpark.” Gallacher feels unpaid internships are vital in working your way to the job you desire.

Gallacher is also a Ferris State University softball team member and the vice president of Social Engagement for the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and is set to graduate in Spring 2024. This internship helped Gallacher decide what career she wanted to pursue after college and reminded her how much she enjoyed working in the sports industry.