AMBER N. O’BRIEN Issue 1

AMBER N. O’BRIEN

Amber O’Brien is a Senior Sport and Recreation Management Major in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management set to graduate in August of 2016. Born and raised in Glastonbury, CT, Amber knew that after high school, she needed to take a chance and dive into a place she’d never been before in order to grow – Temple University was that place for her!

During her tenure at Temple, Amber has dedicated her time to organizations, internships, and work experiences that have and will continue to help her excel in the industry of sport by developing optimal event planning, operations, leadership, and organizational skills.

Along with her passion for sport, Amber has an intense passion for social justice and advocating for those unable to do so for themselves. Amber seeks to combine her passions: using sport as a catalyst for social good and enhancement.

Now that her Senior year is coming to a close, Amber plans on using her hard work ethic, craving for innovation, and eagerness to learn, to seek to earn an internship and/or full time employment opportunity with an organization that will allow her to continue fostering these traits, while also cultivating an environment that will encourage her to challenge herself, make mistakes, learn, and flourish into a young and influential leader in the industry.

Amber thanks STHM and its constituents for the countless opportunities and lessons learned. Without them, she would not be the young professional she is today.

QUICK FACTS

October 10th, 1994

Glastonbury, CT

Temple University Class of 2016

School of Tourism & Hospitality Management Sport and Recreation Management

Favorite Team: Golden State Warriors

BRIEF BACKGROUND

AMBER N. O’BRIEN | Issue 1 2

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE Amber completed her junior internship at the University of Pennsylvania Football Operations followed by an internship with the Philadelphia Sports Congress performing behind the scenes work for Army Navy Game and Operation Gratitude Day.

WORK EXPERIENCE Amber began working at Temple’s Campus Recreation as a Facility Monitor in 2013. Soon after she began working for Temple Football as a recruitment intern in 2014. Entering her senior year she was hired by a consulting firm Fallbridge Advisors as an Associate on the Comm. Team.

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE Ambers most memorable Volunteer Experiences include Temple Women’s Basketball Team as a manager as well as working as an operations volunteer for ESPN College GameDay Temple vs. Notre Dame.

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Ambers Leadership Experience at Temple began in the Cherry Crusade as both Secretary and Vice President, followed by Director of University Pride and Tradition for Temple Student Government, all of which worked extremely close with Temple Athletics and all other University constituents. Lastly, Amber became the TSG/SPO Council Liaison for the Sport and Governance Association.

CONTACT ME!

AMBER O’BRIEN 1601 N. 15th Street, Apt. 1120A

Philadelphia, PA 19121 (860) 918-0399

amber.obrien@temple.edu www.linkedin.com/in/amberobrien2016

MY TEMPLE STORY AS TOLD BY AMBER O’BRIEN “To put it simply: Temple University has changed my life. Now, I know, time and time again people hear this phrase come out of plenty of students mouths, but I really can’t find a better way to describe my time here at Temple University.

AND SO IT BEGINS… I began my freshman year as an arrogant 17 year old. That arrogance was quickly replaced with courage and drive – the courage to immediately get involved in the Temple Community, and the drive to turn my involvement into innovation and leadership. Little did I know the snowball affect this would have on not only my time at Temple, but my life as a whole.

START YOUR ENGINE… I began my involvement with the Cherry Crusade: the organization known for being the die-hard Temple Fans. I was elected Secretary then promoted to Vice President. During this time with the Cherry Crusade, I got to see the Athletics Departments and its teams during their lowest points and most trying times. My most vivid memories exist during the point where 5 Athletic Teams were cut mid-year – The Crusade took on the role of a mediator in this heartbreaking time, designing initiatives to support the fallen teams, and offering support in every way! After seeing athletics and the Temple Community experience such a low point, I wanted to increase my involvement and help the Temple Community further. In comes Temple Student Government. I was hired the end of my sophomore year to become the newest Director of University Pride and Tradition for TSG where I began to work not only with Athletics, but with several departments and other administrators such as Alumni Relations, Strategic Communications, Student Activities, Board of Trustees and more! Through this involvement I became a stakeholder and influential voice for my peers – getting the opportunity to express their needs and concerns to the right administrators and getting results! I became, for lack of better words, obsessed with helping not only the Athletics Community, but the entire Temple Community. I wanted to mold Temple into a school students were proud to say they attended!

BLAST OFF… As this passion grew, again, so did my involvement. In September of my junior year, I was selected as a candidate to run for Homecoming Queen 2014. Through this honor, I was able to expand my web at Temple and reach new communities and hear their voices and opinions and what they wanted to see change here at Temple University. I also became unafraid to approach my peers, ask them for feedback and opinions, or even just to be their friend – it was an amazing experience that informed me on the changes our students wanted to see. Using the interactions with my peers via both Temple Student Government and Homecoming Court, I was able to generate several initiatives that I implemented into the Temple Community to increase student satisfaction and the results were amazing – but there is always room for improvement and growth, we as a Temple Community had such a long journey ahead of us, one that I wasn’t willing to not be a part of. With this yearning for leading the community towards growth and innovation came this crazy idea – I mean so crazy I used to joke about it with my friends: “Why don’t I run for Student Body President?” So begins the long journey of the election process – it was grueling, tiring, and time consuming, for upward of 4 months I dedicated my life to positive change in this university, showing our

peers that we as a team were worthy of representing and advocating for ALL of them. We spoke with hundreds of organizations, students, and administrators combined about our platform and how we plan on advocating for all students. It was the best and worst, highest and lowest points of my life. But a time I wouldn’t change for the world. Together, my team and the opposing team lifted voting percentages far beyond the schools history, but in the end the odds were not in our favor. The experience, although tiring and difficult, never once had me questioning my love for the university and its community, in fact, day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute, it only affirmed and grew my love.

REACH FOR THE STARS… Now, halfway in my senior year at Temple, my love and involvement has switched gears and is focused on the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management. After just one year in the program, my astonishment with constant growth and success of a program that never ceases to give back to and challenge its students, coupled with their strong support during my presidential campaign, caused me to yearn for an increased involvement – I mean, how could I not take advantage of the plethora of once in a lifetime opportunities? So quickly, I joined the Executive Board of the Sport and Governance Association as the TSG and SPO Council Liaison – fitting right? Immediately I got to see first hand the

major expansion of a small SPO into a flag bearer and leader of all SPO’s to come in all but just one semester! Shortly after joining SAGA, I started pouncing on opportunities left and right, which allowed me to earn my internship with the University of Pennsylvania Football, earn the opportunity to attend the Doha GOALS Forum in Los Angeles, earn my next internship with the Philadelphia Sports Congress, followed by earning my position as an Associate at Fallbridge Advisors. Clearly, I have a lot to be thankful for – but I guess what I am most thankful of STHM for, is lending a helping hand to access an ocean of opportunities for not only me, but all of their students. They promote professionalism, poise, success, and diversity, and it is because of this that I have the opportunities I do now.

LAND ON THE MOON… Well, now I’ve finally reached my last semester of coursework, I finally have a Temple Story – a long one at that. But my story is unique, and my story has given me some things that I don’t think any other school could have: The ability to be Temple Made, the courage to Take Charge, the endurance the Cherry On, the love to Represent, and the ability to keep pushing! I have so much to say “Thank You” to Temple University for, the list is far too long and frankly, this story is too…so I guess I’ll end by saying this: Thank you, Temple, for allowing me to leave my legacy & Thank you, for giving me a damn good story to tell.”

AMBER N. O’BRIEN Issue 1