Internships with L.A. Angels, Ford ad agency give BenU student real-world experience

"May is going to come so fast," said Molly Morley, a senior Communication Arts major with a concentration in Sports Communication, as she reflected on her college career at Benedictine University.

This summer, the school's first Jim Durham Memorial Scholarship recipient juggled a full-time internship with Global Team Blue (GTB), an advertising and communications agency for Ford Motor Company, and a shadowing program at Major League Baseball with the Los Angeles Angels.

At GTB in Irvine, Calif., Morley was hands-on with digital, communications, analytics and account teams. She worked with West Coast clients from as far as the Rocky Mountains to Washington, and memorized statistics on preferred cars in the different regions to learn best how to "hit the audience."

Morley also attended advertising meetings with Hulu, Pandora, Amazon and YouTube advertising teams who wanted to run Ford commercials on their apps.

"I learned how an ad actually worked," Morley said. "Being in meetings like that and getting to ask questions was a great experience."

When Morley shadowed the Los Angeles Angels' communications department, she met Alex Curry, host of Angels Weekly at Fox Sports West. Curry played a mentorship role and offered her some broadcasting tips. One strategy was to record herself reading broadcast scripts over and over as practice for the real thing.

She also worked with Tim Mead, the vice president of Communications for the Angels, who oversees media relations, publicity and broadcasting. Mead gave her advice on TV production, broadcasting and social media.

"He's a great guy," she said. "He was the one who allowed me to gain so much experience with the Angels. I'm so thankful. He gave me the opportunity of a lifetime."

Sitting in the Angels' dugout and meeting some of the players was an additional perk she enjoyed.

A flexible schedule allowed her to work at both companies. Her GTB internship ran Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., while her work with the Angels started at 7:00 p.m. or on the weekend.

"My dream is to be a sports broadcaster for Major League Baseball or Fox Sports," she said. "If I was hired by the Angels, that would be amazing."

Morley isn't done perfecting her broadcasting technique. Starting in October, she will be working as a director intern with Comcast TV Network through Mayslake Ministries, a nonprofit Catholic/Christian ministry that offers a variety of spiritual enrichment programs and retreats.

"It will be another great opportunity because I will be working on a set," she said.

Benedictine University has helped prepare Morley for the professional broadcasting business. Being the first recipient of the Durham scholarship, which was named for Jim Durham, the former NBA play-by-play announcer for ESPN Radio, opened a lot of doors.

"Through my classes, I was able to delve into the industry and learn how the business worked," Morley said.

Learning about the industry gave her the advantage she needed for her internship and shadowing program. She noted one of the valuable lessons BenU taught her was the importance of networking. She collected tons of business cards from connections she made at meetings she attended.

Being a student-athlete also gave her the drive and determination to succeed. With classes to attend during the day and volleyball practice every evening, Morley had to figure out early on how to manage her time.

She persevered … and landed on the Dean's List.

"As hard as you think something is, don't give up on your dreams and aspirations," she said. "For my academic success, nothing comes easy. If I have to lock myself in my room all weekend because I have to study that long, then that's what I have to do."

This school year, she will serve as a career peer educator in the Academic and Career Enrichment Center at BenU where she will help students craft their resumes and practice interviews.

"I want to share all of my knowledge," Morley said. "I want to be part of their journey to success."

For more information about Benedictine University and its programs, visit ben.edu.