For the Love of the Game – Anessa Garnetto, a Double Major in Sports Management & Marketing

“I don’t like to say my dream is to do this or that, because I don’t see my future as a dream. I see it as something I will achieve. I will be working in New England doing marketing for either an NFL or NBA team,” says sophomore Anessa Garnetto. 

In preparation, she chose a double major in marketing and sports management at Rhode Island College. At the same time, she’s been working at Gillette Stadium in food service and ticket sales for the past three years.

“I enjoy my job thoroughly,” she says. “No matter what event is going on at the stadium – be it the New England Patriots or the New England Revolutions soccer team – I want to be the go-to person they call to help out. I enjoy the fan atmosphere, with people cheering and shouting. There’s no atmosphere like it.”

Garnetto is equally a fan of her education at Rhode Island College and extols her professors.

“The marketing program at RIC is amazing,” she says. “As a marketing major, you’re going to have some of the best professors in the School of Business. For my Introduction to Marketing class, I had adjunct faculty member Susan Bouchard, who is nothing but amazing.”

Garnetto is also a fan of the School of Business’ sports management program. David Roach, interim director of sports management, teaches courses in the program. “I love him. He’s great,” she says, “and he’s very passionate about what he does.”

Next semester Garnetto will begin her practicum. She’ll be required to shadow a professional in the sports management industry who works at a local high school or college. She hopes to work with a professional who shares her interests – sports photography, videography and social media.

“In this industry, you probably won’t enter a top-level position right after you graduate,” she says, “but there’s a lot of opportunities for entry-level positions that will allow you to work your way up.”

Gillette Stadium is her way of working her way up. She says, “In the sports industry, if you’re dedicated, it comes with long-term benefits. You earn respect from being in the industry for so long.” With a degree in sports management and marketing, she’ll gain even more leverage and a higher paying position.

A first-generation college student, Garnetto says her drive and ambition comes from her father who immigrated from Mexico.

“My mom, who’s African American, was born in this country,” she says. “She didn’t make it out of high school, and my dad didn’t finish elementary school. That’s why he’s always telling me to do my best and to keep going. He’ll say, ‘Don’t give 100 percent, give 110 percent.’”

And his coaching has paid off. She spent Spring Break interning at a marketing firm her first year at RIC. She is also a RIC ambassador, marketing the college through tours, and she’s host of Quad Talks. As host, Garnetto interviews students, then posts the videos on TikTok. Designed for current students and prospective students, Quad Talks is yet another way of marketing Rhode Island College and building Garnetto’s résumé.

“A lot of people look at the end goal,” she says, “but they don’t look at how to get there. I’d rather focus on working my way up, rather than focusing on something I’m not yet ready for. If I got hired by the Patriots today, I would 100 percent take the job, but I don’t think I would be able to contribute anything. I need the education and experiences I’m having now to be in a position to contribute.”

So, Garnetto is just taking it one down at a time on her own gridiron, with the sole focus of giving her all to the next play.

For information about RIC’s marketing program, see Marketing B.S.

For information about sports management, see Sports Management B.S.