Bellisario College student finds first sports internship close to home

(Editor’s Note: This is the sixth in a series of stories about internships being completed by students in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.)

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — What drove Dylin Skeete toward a second college degree? Passion for sports, a love for Penn State and a little bit of jealousy.

It seemed like Skeete’s Penn State career was done when she earned her degree in criminology after the spring 2023 semester. However, she wasn’t sure about starting a career in law enforcement, and another career path caught her eye.

“My sister, who is a year younger than me, was doing an internship focused on sports,” Skeete said. “I was trying to figure out my life, and she had this internship that she talked about all the time. I thought that it sounded really interesting. I was literally jealous.”

Her sister Devin’s internship was a fan experience and marketing position with Penn State Athletics. So, last August, Skeete went back to school. This time, she joined the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications majoring in telecommunications. As an upperclassman new to the major, Skeete said she had some catching up to do, but the Bellisario College’s many opportunities made it easy to get on track and get involved.

“The college is really great at offering a lot of resources,” she said. “Every day, we get emails about job listings and workshops and events that are happening.”

Skeete added, “100 people can do communications and you can get 100 different career paths. The Bellisario College is known for being super successful for having a lot of connections. I saw that as a good experience, not only to be a student but for future networking.”

Skeete grew up in New York. Her family moved to Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, when she was in eighth grade. Her family loves sports, especially football. Penn State’s connections and opportunities mixed with sports and school spirit appealed to her.

Skeete quickly got involved in different clubs and groups, first at Penn State Abington and then at University Park. Last August, as a newly minted Bellisario College student, she joined several organizations, including the Sports Business Club (SBC), which she said was “the best, most valuable decision I made.”

During the semester, the SBC meets every week and frequently Zooms with alumni who work in sports. Last semester, the club members attended a Philadelphia 76ers game complete with a tour of the arena and private sessions with team employees.

“Working with fellow students in SBC is so motivating because we all hold each other accountable to reach the goals that we have in pursuing careers in the sports business industry,” said Sarah Moyer, a junior marketing major and SBC president. “Dylin fits into this club perfectly because she is selfless and loves hearing about what others are doing and their recent successes.”

Moyer said Skeete has the positive attitude, drive and friendly personality that will help her thrive in the sports industry.

“I expect Dylin to continue aiming high,” she said. “I know she will continue to pave the way for women in the sports business world. There is no stopping Dylin Skeete.”

The SBC offered a wonderful student experience, but without any real-world positions on her resume, it was hard for Skeete to find a summer sports internship. However, after some diligent work applying to openings all over the country, she learned that the best opportunities are sometimes just a short drive from home.

“I felt like I was going up against a lot of people in my year who already had a second and third internship,” she said. “One day I applied to more than 25 jobs in one night. A week later, I got a call from the IronPigs for an interview.”

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a AAA-affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies located in Allentown, just 20 minutes away from Skeete’s hometown. Before the interview, she had heard of the IronPigs but wasn't familiar with the team or its stadium. She accepted a position as a game-day intern. When she started during the third week of May, Skeete got a crash course in the action and fun of minor league baseball.

“The purpose of this internship is to find something you like or something you want to stick to,” she said. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I started. I just knew I wanted to do sports.”

Skeete primarily works with the marketing and promotions team, but she also has taken part in just about everything else — customer service, merchandise, on-field entertainment (yes, she has worn the mascot costume) and the ticket office.

“Every inning is something different,” she said. “We do this thing called the pork race where we dress up as a burger, a bacon, a hotdog or ribs and we have to run around the field and actually race.”

She added with a laugh, “And you know, there’s been a heat wave. It’s been super hot.”

Skeete said her favorite part of the job is interacting with fans. Whether it’s selling last-minute tickets or pork racing around the field as “Barbie Q,” she enjoys being a part of the in-game experience for the thousands who visit Coca-Cola Park on game nights.

With a summer of sports experience under her belt, Skeete will wrap up her second senior year at Penn State this fall semester. She said she is excited to continue taking classes and participating in the SBC, but she is not excited about leaving Penn State — again.

“I’m ready for the challenges and to grind a little bit, but it’s a little bittersweet,” she said. “It will bring my college experience to a close, which is very sad.”

But, in a way, that jealousy that started this second Penn State journey has paid off. Skeete got the same internship her sister had with Penn State Athletics. She starts this fall.