Griffin Kirkwood

My name is Griffin Kirkwood.  I am a member of the class of 2012, with a major in Sport Management.  Originally from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, approximately 45 minutes from Merrimack, I have lived on campus for all three years of my enrollment here.

The Girard School of Business and International Commerce and its growing Sport Management Department give students the tools that they need to succeed in the sports industry.  In conjunction with an effective and strong athletic department, the two give students the opportunity to grow in the classroom and have hands on experience in Merrimack’s sports facilities.  The sport management professors here at Merrimack give you not only the skills you need, but reveal insights that one can only gain from having success in the field of sports.  The number one thing that the sport management department as a whole has stressed to all of its students is that success comes from networking and knowing people.  Because of small classroom sizes, you get to know all of your professors very well. Merrimack has great ties to many people in a variety of sports industries in the field and you are encouraged to make the most out of those relationships.

What Merrimack has taught me so far has allowed me some success in the sports field already. In the summer of 2010 I worked for the Worcester Tornadoes, a professional baseball team in the Canadian-American league, running their merchandising operations.  The following fall I began an internship in the Merrimack Athletic Department doing a multitude of things including promotions and feature stories.  After that internship, I started working with the department doing promotions.  This coming summer of 2011 I will be interning with the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse, doing sales and marketing.  I have little doubt that I owe my success so far to Merrimack and its sport management program.

So far in my life, my decision to come to Merrimack has been the best decision I’ve ever made.  Merrimack has given me the tools I need to succeed in every facet of my post-college career.  Merrimack is the place to be for students who want to learn how to succeed in the sports industry.