Internship brightens Rider University junior's outlook on life

Junior Polina Selinevich

Majors: Finance and sport management
Internship: Special Olympics New Jersey

Last spring, junior Polina Selinevich interned with Special Olympics New Jersey (SONJ), which provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in 24 Olympic-type sports for more than 25,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Working 10-plus hours every week with the organization, Selinevich was actively engaged in the planning process of events and even helped run some of them. 

In addition to gaining professional experience and sharpening her career focus, her time at SONJ pushed Selinevich to grow personally. After working with SONJ athletes, she has become an active volunteer with a steady focus on staying positive no matter what circumstances life throws at her. "They inspire me to have a positive outlook on life, no matter the odds," she says.

Rider offers more than 1,000 internship, co-op or field placement opportunities every year. Seventy percent of all Rider students complete at least one of those before graduating. Selinevich recently talked about her internship and how it affected her.

Why did you choose Rider?

I chose Rider because of its business school and its prime location. When making my final decision, I relied a lot on reviews from alumni. The small classrooms and close relationships students build with their professors that I read about when applying is something that I feel very fortunate to experience at Rider. The campus is also located between two major cities, which opens up many employment opportunities. 

How did your classroom learning help you at your internship?

The management courses have been very useful, especially when I've been working at a sporting event where problems occur that require an immediate resolution. My Sports Entrepreneurship and Introduction to Business of Sports classes were very helpful when I was asked to help plan, execute and run the SONJ's powerlifting sectionals. These courses gave me background knowledge of what would be required of me and how I could improve these events.

As a finance and sport management major, I only had a slight idea of what I would like to do in the future for a career. However, interning at SONJ solidified my desire to work in the sports industry and gave me a better understanding of my preferences, specifically working directly with people and athletes, as well as planning sporting events. 

How did Rider faculty assist you with your internship?

My internship advisor, Dr. Charles McCall, has been very helpful and engaged throughout the entirety of my internship. Aside from having bi-weekly meetings, I also had to keep a weekly journal in which I detailed all that I had done throughout the week at SONJ. At our meetings, he made sure to go over these journals in detail and ask about both the successes and failures that I might have had. He was interested in how I was interacting with the staff and the athletes.

How did the internship enhance what you learned at Rider?

At Rider, we are taught how to work with people and how to resolve problems on the spot and act quickly (aside from the textbook information, of course). Being a full-time undergraduate student, working two part-time jobs on campus, being co-captain of the University’s equestrian team and vice president of finance for the Pi Sigma Epsilon business fraternity, along with working 10-plus hours every week at SONJ, helped me enhance my time management skills and learn how to balance my social life with my academics. The management courses that Rider's College of Business Administration students are offered helped me work better with the SONJ staff and with the athletes themselves, resolving conflicts when they occurred.

To be honest, I was surprised by the amount of responsibilities that I was given. I did not simply file documents and bring coffee (I never actually had to bring coffee). I was actively engaged in the planning process of a lot of sporting events and was very active during the events themselves. I had the opportunity to attend the basketball, bowling, aquatics and bocce sectionals, the Polar Plunge and the Snow Bowl (both of which are fundraising events for SONJ), and helped execute and run the powerlifting sectionals. With the powerlifting sectionals specifically, I was involved in the entire process of planning the event and actually running it, from assigning volunteer roles and running their orientation, from preparing the SONJ complex for the competition  to assisting with the awards ceremony.

Starting in April, I also started attending the unified rec basketball games held at the SONJ Complex every Thursday. This weekly event for both Special Olympics athletes and Unified Partners from the area gives them the opportunity to practice their skills during a friendly game of basketball. I was offered to take over the program in the fall, and while it is not definite yet, even being offered the opportunity to do so is very exciting. 

What advice would you give your peers when searching for an internship?

Don’t be afraid to apply. Apply for every internship that interests you in your field of study and do not get discouraged if you are rejected. I applied for many internships before SONJ, but this was the first one that I felt was right. Not only has it given me real-life experience and solidified my decision to study sports management, but it has also introduced me to many people who have not only became my connections but also very close friends. 

Personally, I feel like this internship was as successful as it was because of the organization itself. Before obtaining this internship, I did not know what impact Special Olympics has on the community. I have never worked with people with intellectual disabilities, but now I am actively involved as a volunteer for many different sports competitions throughout the state and plan on continuing to volunteer next year.

I am friends with many athletes and cherish the time I spend with them, as there is so much that I learn from them. They inspire me to have a positive outlook on life, no matter the odds. I could not have asked for a better internship experience than the one that I received at Special Olympics New Jersey, and I encourage students to get involved with the organization, whether it is through Rider’s Unified Team or perhaps by applying for the many internship opportunities that SONJ has on their website.