Recent UIndy graduate, Landon Owens ’21 says that his experience in UIndy’s Sport Management (SMGT) program was nothing short of great.
Owens, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management and a minor in Business Administration, says the professors, extracurricular activities and internship opportunities gave him a well-rounded experience that prepared him for his first job outside of college: a Collegiate Program Coordinator at Legends Global Merchandise.
“The professors are the main driver of the courses,” he says, “while still allowing the students to have autonomy in terms of projects, schoolwork, and career development.”
During his time at UIndy, Owens had several mentors, including Dr. Isabel Mills. He credits Dr. Mills with helping him with an organization that he and other classmates started on campus. The advice continued there with Dr. Mils giving Landon career development advice over the years.
In addition to coursework, Owens has become involved with several campus organizations. He was a four-year member of the Speech and Debate team, as well as the Director of PR for the UIndy Sport Business Professionals Association. “I think that in those experiences I was able to really find who I was as a speaker, and a future member of the sport industry,” he explains.
They also gave him the confidence to pursue internships. He completed an internship with Indy Eleven Professional Soccer, where he served as a ticket sales intern. Next, he was a ministry intern with Fellowship of Christian Athletes -Central Indiana.
“In both of those internships, I really learned the importance of communication in two very different settings,” he says. “With the sales, I was trying to sell a product, but with FCA, it was more like trying to communicate a message to all different types of people and age groups.”
Get Involved and Be Your Best
Because of his many opportunities—including the Lugar Scholarship and a yearly scholarship from the UIndy Speech and Debate team—Owens would not hesitate to recommend UIndy to others.
“The campus is just far enough away from downtown, so you don’t feel the largeness of the city, the classes are relatively small compared to a place such as IU or Purdue, and the professors and faculty really do care for your overall success,” he says.And Owens says the time to get involved is now.
“My advice to incoming freshmen would be to not wait to incorporate yourself with the University,” he says. “Try and be the best version of yourself, because that’s how you will succeed at UIndy.”
