Meaghan Coleman

The Woodlands, Texas

College:

College of Business Administration

Degree Programs:

Business Administration MBA
Sport Business Management MSBM

Research Focus:

Human Trafficking in Sport and Racism in Sport.

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Meaghan Coleman’s advice to her fellow students is to focus on finding their passion.  For Coleman, it was extracurricular in undergrad that made her realize that her true passion was in sports.  Coleman earned her bachelor’s in Energy Business and Finance with a minor in Spanish at Pennsylvania State University, where she was also on the women’s golf team.  Being on the golf team led her to become involved with the Student-Athlete Advisory Board, which exposed her to all of the behind the scenes work that athletics administrators do for their athletes daily.  Realizing that she felt drawn to a career in sports, Coleman decided to pursue both her MBA and Master of Sport Business Management from the DeVos Sport Management at UCF.

Coleman chose UCF because of the program’s reputation and the ability to earn both an MBA and Master of Sport Business Management, as well as its community outreach and volunteer component.  She states that “many other programs tout themselves as having the best alumni network or access to different sports organizations, but the DeVos program separates itself as, in my opinion, the most socially conscious and well-rounding sport business management program in the country.”  As part of this commitment to the community, Coleman teaches Physical Education at the Orange County Academy in Bithlo and will be attending a family retreat weekend through Deliver the Dream, an organization that allows families dealing with life-threatening diseases to enjoy a weekend of relaxation and fun.

Coleman’s decision was also influenced by Dr. Lapchick, whose story and mission to use the power of sport to change the world inspired Coleman to study at UCF.  Coleman is currently a graduate assistant for Dr. Lapchick, which involves assisting him in writing articles for ESPN and Sport Business Journal and collecting data on human trafficking in sport and racism in sport in conjunction with The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES).  Coleman also has praise for Dr. Yoho, whose passion for supply chain and eagerness to get to know the students and help them see how the subject could be applied in their professional futures made a lasting impact.

Coleman’s decision to follow her passion has enabled her to find a career path that is a perfect fit for her, and she encourages her peers to be open to new experiences and take advantage of the various opportunities that they have to be involved because you never know when something you had not been exposed to before will strike your interest.  She also urges students to always speak up for their beliefs and ideas, as everyone is here to learn from each other and grow as individuals.

After graduating, Coleman plans to work for an athletic department at a university or within the administration at the conference or NCAA level.