One of the many benefits of the new partnership between the nationally recognized Women Leaders in Sports and the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics is the mentorship that Women Leaders in Sports executives are providing to Falk students.
That benefit was on full display recently in Falk College, where Women Leaders in Sports Chief Executive Officer Patti Phillips and Chief Strategy and Operating Officer Christina Turner met with Falk students for a networking and professional development session and hosted a lunch meeting with students from Falk and the Newhouse School of Public Communications.
We asked Falk College students Emily Gilbert, Lexi Katz, and Allison Vims to share what they learned from Phillips and Turner at the lunch session, and here’s what they wrote:
Emily Gilbert ’27 (sport management major, political science minor)
“Meeting with Christina and Patti was a wonderful experience, and learning more about their professional journeys and how they got to where they are now was eye-opening. It was inspiring to hear how Patti started as a coach with mostly male mentors and that pushed her to want to create an environment where women had other women to lean on.
“I asked Patti why she was coming to Syracuse and how the new partnership would be beneficial for female students, and her reply resonated with me. She said their organization is a hub for women to meet other women and learn valuable skills that will help grow their careers.
“Patti also explained how they will tell us the truth about the industry. She said that getting into the industry is not easy and sometimes putting in the work is not enough. There will be times that you will get overlooked, but the Women Leaders in Sports organization is there to help lift us. They will provide us with opportunities to grow, learn, and adapt to make us the best candidates so that organizations will have no choice but to hire us.”
Emily Gilbert is the Community Outreach and Fundraising Chair for the Women in Sports and Events Club (WISE), Vice President of Community Service for the Sport Management Club, and Vice President of Philanthropy for the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.
Lexi Katz ’27 (sport management major, Spanish minor)
“I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to meet with Patti Phillips and Christina Turner and they shared valuable insights on how to be a successful woman in sports and break into the competitive industry. I enjoyed hearing their networking and interviewing tips such as making a good first impression, how to follow up and stay connected to build your network, what questions to avoid in an interview, and how women can support each other in different organizations.
“One valuable conversation we had was about how important it is to have a growth mindset. If you want to grow and progress in the industry, you need to try new things and push yourself while also being detailed and taking pride in doing the small things.
“We also discussed the partnership between Falk and Women Leaders in Sports and I mentioned how grateful we are to have a dean like Jeremy Jordan who recognizes the lack of support women have in sports and encourages us to get our foot in any way we can. I hope more students in Falk learn about the partnership, take advantage of it, and use their network to find other opportunities. I love all that Patti, Christina, and Women Leaders in Sports are doing, and I am so happy to be part of it.”
Lexi Katz is the Communications Chair for the Women In Sports and Events Club (WISE), a member of the Sport Management Club, and a two-year member of the inventory team for the Sport Management Club’s Sport Charity Auction.
Allison Vims ’27 (sport management major, double minor in business and Spanish)
“My table’s discussion was led by Patti Phillips, who asked us each to individually share our goals and leadership aspirations. Patti made the time to get to know us as individuals and encouraged us to figure out ways that she could help us.
“Over our lunch, my fellow attendees and I began to share stories of our hardships and success stories in the industry. Patti listened first, then broke down scenarios and different ways to attack each situation to ensure that we would keep our seats at the table. The Women Leaders in Sports team ended the lunch with the advice to keep leading, because we, as students, are the future of the sport industry. I left the lunch feeling a sense of empowerment.
“Prior to this lunch, I knew that the partnership would make Falk College stand out from other sport management programs, but I didn’t see how students would be involved. However, being able to ask the CEO her opinions and having the opportunity to share my input as a student leader helped me see how the partnership will benefit students. The future is promising with such an incredible team of leaders backing us! Thank you to both Women Leaders and Falk College for giving me the opportunity to be a leader, and I cannot express my gratitude enough.”
Allison Vilms is President of the Women in Sports and Events Club (WISE), and Vice President of Programming for the Sport Management Club.
Pioneering Partnership
Announced in August 2024, the partnership between Women Leaders in Sports and Falk College and was inspired after Syracuse University’s Women in Leadership Initiative hosted Women Leaders in Sports CEO Patti Phillips on campus in March 2024 for a series of meetings and presentations.
The partnership creates mentoring, learning, fellowship, internship, and membership opportunities for Falk students, provides access to professional memberships to Falk faculty, and supports faculty attendance at significant events such as the Women Leaders in Sports National Convention. In October, a contingent of Falk College students, faculty, and staff attended the Women Leaders in Sports 2024 National Convention in Baltimore, Maryland.
As part of the collaboration, Phillips serves as special advisor to Falk College Dean Jeremy Jordan and an “executive in residence” at Falk. The partnership also calls for an exchange of relevant Syracuse University research and co-creates a Women Leaders in Sports Fellowship. All Falk College female students receive a membership to Women Leaders in Sports.