When I transferred to Utica College for the Fall 2018 semester, I never thought that my job would end up being my favorite part of my college experience. I have been lucky enough to have worked in the UC football office for the past two years as the office manager.

During my time at UC, I think I’ve spent more time in the football office than anywhere else on campus, and I could not be happier about it. Every moment I’ve spent as the office manager, I have loved, even when I had to send out over 1,200 envelopes in about one week. I can’t even begin to count the number of paper cuts I have obtained over the past two years.

Some of my duties in the football office include creating, organizing and managing information on fundraising, recruits, visit schedules, golf tournaments and summer camp registration information. I conduct raffle ticket and clothing sales, as well as deposit and manage funds.

This job has taught me so much and continues to do so. I learned how to use new technologies and programs. I learned how to talk to a lot of different people including coaches, team personnel, players, parents, alumni, faculty and more. I learned how to be efficient and organized. 

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love football and even though I was not on the sidelines during games, the fact that I was still able to help the team in a different capacity and be around football every day means the world to me.

I will never forget driving around on a golf cart during our annual golf tournament and getting stuck in the mud and having our head coach have to help push me out and get my cart free.  Thanks, Coach Faggiano, sorry if the mud-stained any of your clothes. 

I will also never forget the day that out of nowhere at least 50 pictures of dinosaurs started printing in our office. We never figured out where they came from.  

Although it is not in my job description, I would go out and buy lint rollers, gum and mints for recruitment days, the end of the season banquet and other important events so that I knew that the coaches had everything they needed to be on top of their game. You’re welcome for all the mints, Coach Gerbino. 

I also appreciate them playing Justin Timberlake’s music for me in the office from time to time. A special thank you goes out to Coach Pluff for that one. There has never been a day that I have regretted coming into work. 

Even on some of my worst days, this job and the coaches were a bright spot. In between all of the hard work and countless hours that the coaches put in every single day, there are always a lot of fun times. There is nowhere else on campus I would have wanted to work.

More than anything, I just want to say thank you to all of the coaches. I cannot believe how unbelievably lucky I got to work with these people. The coaches that I get to work with every day, including the ones that have left to start their full-time coaching careers somewhere else, are truly some of the greatest people I have ever met. 

While I cannot name everyone in this article, you should all know that I am grateful for the time I got to spend with all of you. I love these coaches, I love this team and I love this job. I will forever be thankful for this opportunity.

While I will soon be leaving UC, I will forever be one of the football team’s biggest fans. While you will not see me selling 50/50 raffle tickets anymore, you can bet that you will still see me in the stands cheering for the team and the coaches. And always remember, Fear the Moose.