SAN DIEGO — Aztecs Going Pro (AGP) brought San Diego State student-athletes together with more than 40 professionals for the 5th annual Network with an Aztec event on Tuesday, September 15.
The event connected Aztecs with SDSU alumni and professionals from a variety of industries, giving student-athletes the opportunity to ask questions, share their experiences and build relationships as they prepare for careers beyond athletics.
“Networking is important for student-athletes, especially in the transition from playing at SDSU to using what we’ve learned through our sport in the professional world,” said women’s soccer student-athletes Lily Boudet and Emma Fuller.
The student athletes were able to connect with many organizations in attendance, including: FLITE SPORTS, GALLO, Stryker, Palomar, Cal Coast Credit Union, Intuit, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, San Diego Police Department, Morgan Stanley, Northwestern Mutual, Feeding San Diego and more, giving Aztecs the opportunity to explore career paths across sports, healthcare, finance, law, technology and public service.
Women’s swimming and diving student-athlete Ginger Kiefer also emphasized the importance of looking beyond the person directly in front of you when building a professional network.
“I passed my resume along and realized you can network with people you don’t expect,” Kiefer said. “Networking extends beyond the person you’re talking to and really highlights the strength of the SDSU alumni network.”
Throughout the event, student-athletes moved from table to table, asking questions and learning more about the careers and industries represented.
“I believe the networking event is an instrumental tool in preparing Aztecs for their future endeavors,” said Robert Logan, Chief of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. “My interactions with the Aztecs also impressed upon me that SDSU is an A-plus institution.”
Riley Chugg of GALLO, a longtime AGP supporter, also enjoyed hearing from student-athletes about their experiences and future goals.
“It was great interacting with the student-athletes and hearing about their experiences and how their skills can translate into a career setting,” Chugg said.
The event also featured keynote speaker Tammy Blackburn, an SDSU alumna, former women’s basketball captain and scholar-athlete, who shared her experiences with student-athletes as they continue preparing for their futures beyond athletics.
SDSU alumna and longtime AGP supporter Patti Roscoe has continued to create opportunities for student-athletes to connect with professionals, sponsoring five student-athletes for internships and supporting this year’s Network with an Aztec event.
“This has been such a valuable event, not only for those attending who are advising students, but especially for the young people who have the opportunity to interact with professionals from many industries,” Roscoe said. “Their questions were thoughtful, and they showed so much interest in their conversations.”
Football student-athlete Solomon Davis summed up the purpose of the event simply:
“Network is your net worth.”
Through Network with an Aztec, AGP continues to create opportunities for student-athletes to build connections, explore careers and learn from professionals who have already taken their own steps into the working world.
AGP thanks all of the professionals and SDSU alumni who attended for investing their time and experience in SDSU student-athletes.