Mount Saint Mary College senior Cullen Roper, a General Business Administration major, strives to take opportunities to advance his education and career.
For example, Roper, originally from Stratford, Conn., moved to Newburgh recently to be closer to the Mount. He is also graduating a year early and planning to continue his education through the college’s MBA program.
However, before he continues his academic career, Roper will be taking on a three-month internship for Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSG) in New York City, as a Sales Operations and Analytics Student Associate.
In this role, Roper will support upper management and sales staff, track and update reports, and participate in sales and service training. He will also have access to other professional development opportunities – including the possibility of a full-time job in the future.
Roper credits the Mount with preparing him for the Business field and inspiring him to apply for the MSG internship. During his freshman year at the college, he learned about the internship while on a field trip with other Business majors, where they took the All Access Business Tour of Madison Square Garden. Keeping the position in mind throughout the rest of his college career, he applied and was accepted for this summer.
Roper is one of six siblings and his father passed away a few years ago. He paid for college and supported himself these past three years by working in a restaurant. While he is the fifth person in his family to graduate from college, he will be the first to get a master’s degree following his completion of the MBA program.
As a Medici Scholar, the vice president and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion representative of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, and a member of the baseball and indoor track and field teams, Roper surrounded himself with people who helped guide him throughout his college career.
In particular, he is thankful for his advisor, Scott Russell, assistant professor of Sports Management, for being a great mentor and giving him useful advice. He added, “I will miss the tight-knit community here and being able to know the vast majority of students.”