On Thursday, Apr. 23, from 5 to 8 p.m., the Women in Sports Symposium will take place in the Lois Forum at the Martire Center for Liberal Arts.
The symposium will be hosted by Sacred Heart University (SHU) alumna Morgan Bedard, who graduated with a master’s degree in Sports Communication and Media (SCM) in 2022. The keynote speaker will be Lauren DeMayo, an associate producer at ESPN’s SportsCenter.
Source: Contributed by Catarina Da Rocha
“I think it is very important to highlight women in sports, especially those in college, because they are the next generation to join the industry. Inspiring other women within sports on any level is incredibly important,” said Catarina Da Rocha, SCM graduate assistant.
The event is held at Sacred Heart every year, bringing different speakers and new voices to the conversation on women in sports.
“When we launched the SCM graduate program about a dozen years ago, we incorporated an annual Women in Sports event into the curriculum. The intent is to foster and celebrate the growth of women in the sports media industry and to provide an opportunity for students to develop event production skills,” said Dr. Andrew Miller, director of the SCM graduate program.
In addition to DeMayo, there will be an alumni panel hosted by Da Rocha.
“I will be asking questions based on their Sacred Heart and professional journey
Sharing their journeys allows other women to understand the industry from a similar perspective and shines a light on the challenges and triumphs along the way,” said Da Rocha.
Prof. Lauren Baker is also involved in planning the event.
“It is important to host these events to showcase the importance of women working in sports. It’s not just for the boys. And it inspires young women. If you can see her, you can be her,” said Baker.
The symposium will cover topics such as what it is like to work in sports as a woman, how their experiences at SHU have helped the panelists in their current roles, the challenges and rewards of the industry, and how the women on the panel got into sports.
“Working in a male-dominated field as a woman can be scary. If you hear about other women’s experiences, and you follow in their footsteps, you can also get advice,” said Baker.
“Growing up as a dancer, I always felt like the role for women in sports was limited, especially on the collegiate level, with all of the funding cuts happening to women’s sports,” said senior Toniann Agatone. “But events like this are so important, especially to address these issues and how women can combat these problems and come up with solutions.”
The longstanding event emphasizes important aspects of women’s work and participation in sports. As well as a focus on the issues that arise as women move through their careers in the sports media industry.
“I think it’s important to host events like this to bring diversification across sports. We have women from production and television, to social media and marketing,” said Da Rocha.
“Topics such as empowerment, personal development, visibility, representation, networking, community building, and inspiring the next generation are what make this event important,” said Miller.
All SHU students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend the symposium to hear from the women on the panel and network with them afterward. A reception will follow the event.
