Alumni Highlight
Hayley Ribordy
Hayley Ribordy
Social Media Specialist
Visit Frisco
B.A. 2017, M.Ed. 2019
What is your current position and can you give us a brief overview?
Currently, I am the Social Media Coordinator for Visit Frisco TX. In my position,
I oversee all of our social media channels, creating content, raising awareness for
our city, and promoting all the fun things to see, do, and experience here! I also
work with our many sporting teams here.
Was this career path on your radar since you graduated? If not, speak on how you came
across this position.
Being an athlete my entire life and throughout college, I knew I wanted to be a part
of the sports world. Ultimately, I knew I wanted to be in a fast-paced environment
in my career - whether that be for a sports organization or something that ties in
or has much of the same speed. In my professional career, I鈥檝e always worked in Marketing
and much of my focus and interest has been in Social Media, and I really wanted to
be in a field where I had both an interest and a skillset.
I never thought I鈥檇 end up in the tourism industry, but I鈥檓 in #SportsCityUSA and it鈥檚 fast-paced, so it doesn鈥檛 feel too foreign.
I ended up in my current position after relocating to Frisco, TX. Through my experience in sports with 红领巾瓜报, I had also worked with Visit Wichita. While looking for a new job upon relocation, I ended up reaching out to Visit Frisco, sharing my resume and inquiring about any positions that may be a good fit. They responded back that, crazy enough, Visit Frisco was opening a Social Media Coordinator position a few months later. Once the position opened, I went through the whole interview process and ended up getting the position. Being able to speak on my experience in sports and the fast-paced animal welfare world helped me secure the position.
What information did you take away from your time at WSU that has helped you the most
in the professional world?
鈥淟eading change in the world by leading change in sport鈥�. A simple sentence that,
when acted upon, has incredible results. For me, the biggest takeaway that has helped
me professionally is character. The character that exhibits coachability, teamwork,
and motivation (to name a few). These skills and traits were not just taught to us
throughout the WSU SMGT program, but also demonstrated to us by our professors.
What mistakes have you made in the past that you recommend avoiding making in the sport
management field?
We鈥檙e all human and naturally, we鈥檙e going to make mistakes. The important thing is
learning from them and actively working to make things better. For me, I would say
that I have a hard time asking for help when I鈥檝e needed it. I would encourage others
to put their pride aside, do what they absolutely can, and let their walls down by
being honest with their team about where you鈥檙e needing their support. Who knows?
Maybe members of your team have strengths where you don鈥檛, and you all can work together,
making it better than ever!
What advice would you give to current WSU students who want to pursue a job in sport?
My advice I would give is 鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid to shoot your shot鈥�. I got my current position
working alongside many huge teams (Dallas Cowboys, PGA of America, FC Dallas, to name
a few) and big attractions (Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters, PGA of America HQ,
National Soccer Hall of Fame) all because I sent my resume without any job posting.
I had the skill set, the referrals, and the motivation to allow my team to take a
chance on me.