Sport Management Grad Values Rio Experience

by Kyle Spencer, Public Relations Writer – September 22, 2016

Sport management grad uses Cedarville experience at Olympics

For most, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero were a means of entertainment, but for Shannon Arbogast, a 2015 Cedarville University Sport Management graduate, Rio was a workplace.  

After graduating from Cedarville, Arbogast accepted a position with GMR Marketing, a world renowned marketing agency with offices in nine countries. GMR works with Fortune 500 companies—many of whom sponsor the athletes who competed in Rio. At the Olympic Games, Arbogast managed hospitality functions for many sponsored athletes and their families before, during, and after the competitions. 
Some of the teams she interacted with were the United States gymnastics, volleyball and basketball teams.  

Her education and experiences at Cedarville University proved helpful to Arbogast.  She also found Cedarville’s hands-on learning and outside-the-classroom experiences to be the most helpful in getting to where she is today.  

“Everyone I interacted with at Cedarville helped me get to where I am now,” said Arbogast. 

Cedarville’s sport business program purposefully teaches students how to work with both athletes and corporate sponsors, which is a much needed skill at events like the Olympics.  Her primary professor, Andrew Wonders, assistant professor of sport business management, previously worked Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Sydney, Australia.

“The experience Shannon had is a great example of the types of jobs our major can help prepare students for,” said Andrew Wonders, Assistant Professor of sport business management at Cedarville.

While in Rio, Arbogast was encouraged by how friendly the people were.  “On my birthday,” said Arbogast whose birthday occurred during her time in Rio, “I received three birthday cakes from staff I met only days earlier!”

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 3,760 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 100 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.